England fear Farbrace will take county offer

ENGLAND face a battle to keep hold of assistant coach Paul Farbrace, with two counties eager to take him away from the international game. Farbrace’s native Kent want him to become their director of cricket, a role he filled once before at Canterbury, and Worcestershire hope he will succeed the departed Steve Rhodes at New Road. The former Middlesex and Kent wicketkeeper coached Sri Lanka to a World Twenty20 and Asia Cup double in 2014 before leaving to become an assistant coach with England, first to Peter Moores and now with Trevor Bayliss. Farbrace rejected the chance to coach Surrey last year when England director of cricket Andrew Strauss urged him to stay and plan for what has become a crushing Ashes loss. The popular Farbrace will now take stock and consider two offers that would allow him to avoid lengthy spells away from home and still possibly coach in the Indian Premier League or the Big Bash.