Surrey County Cricket Club confirmed the appointment of Grant Flower as their new men’s assistant coach on 13 October 2026. The 55-year-old former Zimbabwe batter leaves Sussex after five seasons at Hove to join head coach Gareth Batty at The Oval.
Flower replaces Jim Troughton, who returned to his former county Warwickshire, after serving as Batty’s assistant. The new assistant coach explained that Sussex’s financial challenges led to his move to South London. Flower will officially begin his new coaching duties in November 2026 as Surrey prepare for the 2027 season.
Surrey Cricket can confirm that Grant Flower will join the men’s coaching staff as an Assistant Coach.
Flower, who has previously been a Batting Coach with Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, makes the short move to the Kia Oval after five seasons at Sussex.
🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/G1sBbYhqFj
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) October 13, 2026
Financial Struggles Force Sussex Exit
Sussex faced a tough financial year in 2024-25. The club reported an operating loss of £1.33m in that twelve-month period. In the wake of those financial losses, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) imposed special measures on Sussex in February 2026.
Flower admitted these off-field financial issues played a big part in his decision to leave Hove. He said he had loved his five years at Sussex but that all good things must come to an end. He said the club’s ongoing financial problems had forced him into a difficult career choice. Flower, who was grateful for his time at Sussex, was looking forward to a new chapter with Surrey.
Flower became Sussex’s lead batting coach in 2022 and worked with the club’s young batting squad. His technical coaching helped Sussex to promotion to the Division One of the County Championship in 2024. Under his leadership Sussex maintained their excellent form and finished third in the top flight in the 2026 season.
Departures Continues at Hove
Flower’s move adds to a growing list of departures from Sussex this autumn. Former head coach Paul Farbrace recently left the club to take up the role of director of cricket at Lancashire. Farbrace chose Lancashire despite previous plans to transition into a part-time director role at Hove to support Sussex. Sussex subsequently appointed Matt Walker as their new head coach.
Sussex Cricket Lead Batting Coach, Grant Flower, has informed the club that he will be departing at the end of October to pursue a new opportunity with Surrey County Cricket Club.
Thank you for everything, Grant. 💙
📝 https://t.co/0Tmt6jUZVN pic.twitter.com/8u3haKcsVl
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) October 13, 2026
Key players have also left Hove in recent weeks. Wicketkeeper John Simpson signed a deal with Nottinghamshire. Fast bowler Henry Crocombe earned a two-year ECB central contract following a successful summer campaign. These combined exits create major rebuild requirements for Sussex as they deal with special measures.
Flower Brings Proven International Experience
Flower brings over ten years of international coaching experience to Surrey. During his playing career, Flower represented Zimbabwe in 288 international matches between 1992 and 2010. His international record includes 67 Test matches as a top-order batter. He also played county cricket in England for Essex and Leicestershire.
After ending his playing career, Flower began coaching Zimbabwe in 2010. He became Pakistan’s batting coach in 2014 and held the position for five years. He guided Pakistan to victory in the 2017 ICC champions Trophy at the Oval. Furthermore, he served as the Sri Lankan coach for two years before joining Sussex in 2022.
Grant Flower on joining Surrey as Assistant Coach. 🗣️
Read more: https://t.co/FIuleLXVel pic.twitter.com/0WyeKqui4Y
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) October 13, 2026
Following his move to Surrey, Glower stated that the club has a strong cricketing culture and an experienced team. He looks forward to being a part of the team that continues to challenge for trophies.
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