Hampshire have confirmed that head coach Adi Birrell will leave the club at the end of the season, drawing a line under seven eventful years at the Utilita Bowl. The 64-year-old returns to South Africa later this month, and the squad want to pack his suitcase with two more trophies – the T20 Blast, where they meet Northamptonshire in Saturday’s semi-final at Edgbaston, and the Metro Bank Cup, in which they face Worcestershire at Trent Bridge the following weekend.
Birrell’s sides have rarely been far from the honours board. They lifted the Blast in 2022, finished County Championship runners-up three times, and remain in outside contention this summer despite a wobble while James Vince was on international duty. White-ball cricket, though, has again been the headline act: a commanding quarter-final win at Durham underscored their short-format pedigree and set up another Finals Day tilt.
Hampshire announced the coach’s departure in typically understated fashion, but director of cricket Giles White supplied the sentiment:
“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.”
Those words capture the mood in the dressing-room: respect, tinged with a hint of urgency. Birrell himself has kept public comment brief, focusing on the cricket ahead rather than the goodbye.
As for succession, Hampshire are expected to tap into the GMR Group’s global contacts – the Indian consortium now steering both the club and Delhi Capitals in the IPL. An overseas appointment would not surprise, though insiders say continuity in style, rather than nationality, will top the wish-list.
Birrell also filled in as Southern Brave coach in this year’s Hundred. A return looks unlikely, yet his reputation within short-form circles remains strong. First, though, there is Finals Day, a Lord’s-free List-A showpiece at Trent Bridge, and the small matter of that Championship run-in. Two weeks, three formats, one departing coach – and the chance to leave with pockets full of silver.
