Hampshire target white-ball double as coach Birrell prepares to step down
Club hope to give long-serving coach 'send-off he deserves' after seven years in the role
ESPNcricinfo staff
10-Sep-2025 • 3 hrs ago
Adi Birrell is set to leave Hampshire after seven years as head coach • Getty Images
Hampshire hope to give Adi Birrell "the send-off he deserves" by winning the T20 Blast and Metro Bank Cup double after announcing he will leave the club at the end of the season. Birrell, 64, joined Hampshire ahead of the 2019 season but will complete his tenure later this month and return to his native South Africa to spend time with his family.
After a convincing win at Durham in the quarter-finals, Hampshire head to Edgbaston on Saturday targeting a record fourth Blast title ahead of their semi-final against Northamptonshire. They will then face Worcestershire at Trent Bridge in the Metro Bank Cup final the following weekend, eyeing a first List A trophy since 2018.
Hampshire have been competitive across formats under Birrell, winning the Blast in 2022 and finishing runners-up in the County Championship on three separate occasions. They have struggled in the Championship this year in the absence of James Vince, but have still thrived in both white-ball formats.
Birrell also deputised as Southern Brave coach in the men's Hundred this year, but is now unlikely to return to that role next summer. Hampshire are expected to lean on the global network developed by the GMR Group - their new Indian owners, who co-own Delhi Capitals - in recruiting his successor.
"All good things come to an end, and we are sad to see Adi go," Giles White, Hampshire's long-serving director of cricket, said in a club statement. "It's been a fantastic seven years at the club, during which he has become a hugely popular figure and overseen a successful period across all formats.
"Under his leadership, the team has reached numerous finals, come close in Championships, and lifted the Blast title in 2022. His contribution has left a lasting mark, and he will be deeply missed by players, coaches, and fans alike at the Utilita Bowl.
"We hope to give him the send-off he deserves, with two pieces of silverware still up for grabs in the next two weeks and important days ahead in the Championship. Everyone at Hampshire Cricket and the Utilita Bowl wishes Adi the very best as he looks forward to spending more time at home on the farm."