Gavin Larsen announces resignation as Warwickshire sport director

Warwickshire has announced that Gavin Larsen will be stepping down as the club's performance director after serving in the role for 18 months.

Larsen moved to the UK from New Zealand in early 2023, taking over in a new role after Paul Farbrace's departure as sporting director. Larsen had previously spent eight years as New Zealand selector.

The former Black Caps seamer is set to return to his home country for personal reasons, although he will continue in the role until the new year to help the transition, with Warwickshire set to review their leadership structure, according to chief executive, Stuart Cain.

"It's been an absolute pleasure being part of the Bears family, and I've enjoyed every second of it.," Larsen said. "My tenure has been shorter than planned. But sometimes in life the odd curve ball can be thrown your way. That's the case here.

"It's been a great ride and I certainly feel a big part of the Edgbaston family. People and relationships are always key in any walk of life. And here at Edgbaston I can honestly say it's as positive an environment as I've been involved in.

"I wish everyone at Edgbaston all the very best, and will always follow the club's progress with enormous interest."

Warwickshire finished fourth and seventh in Division One of the County Championship during Larsen's two seasons at the helm, as well as losing consecutive home quarter-finals in the T20 Blast.

One of his final acts as performance director was to help secure the signing of fellow New Zealander Tom Latham for the 2025 summer.

Cain said: "Gavin has a great energy and a depth of cricketing knowledge that is second to none. He has worked tirelessly to improve the high-performance environment at Warwickshire and he will be welcome back at Edgbaston any time. As they say, once a bear, always a bear.

"Whilst not linked, we will now combine the findings of the high-performance review with the chance to freshen up our high-performance leadership team and make sure we give our men's and women's squads every chance of succeeding on the field in 2025 and beyond."