Kent Cricket have announced that Director of Cricket, Simon Cook, and Head of Women’s Cricket, Lucy Arman, will both be stepping down from their respective roles following the conclusion of the 2026 season.

The Club will shortly commence a recruitment process in its professional cricket department, with Simon remaining involved in the transition to ensure a smooth handover. 

Former Kent bowler Simon Cook was appointed Director of Cricket in 2023. Over the past three seasons, Simon has played a pivotal role in shaping the Club’s cricketing strategy, talent pathway and player development structure. 

Lucy Arman was appointed as Kent’s Head of Women’s Cricket in October 2024, and has been an integral part of Kent Women’s start to the Project Darwin Era, working tirelessly to raise standards in Kent’s female talent pathway.

Simon has led significant improvements across both Men’s and Women’s Cricket and has been instrumental in developing a long-term vision centred on identifying, nurturing and retaining homegrown talent for Kent and England. 

Under his leadership, Kent Cricket expanded the Kent Regional Development Pathway (KRDP), broadening talent identification across the county and creating greater opportunities for young cricketers through increased state-school engagement and participation programmes. Simon also aligned Men’s, Women’s, Academy and Pathway Cricket, creating a more effective player development system and route to first-team cricket.

The Club has also enjoyed notable successes during Simon’s tenure, including the recent promotion of Kent Men to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship, and the emergence of highly talented young Kent players.

Simon has been a highly respected and valued member of Kent Cricket’s leadership team and leaves the Club in a significantly stronger position than when he arrived. While the Club is naturally disappointed to lose him, it fully respects his decision to return to a more hands-on coaching role, where his passion and expertise will undoubtedly continue to flourish. 

On stepping down as Director of Cricket, Simon Cook said: “Leading the cricket department at Kent has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Club and am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together across the Men’s game, Women’s game and talent pathway.

“We have established a clear pathway for identifying and nurturing talent through the KRDP, MCC Hubs and SAC programmes that will benefit the Club in the years ahead.

“It has also been a privilege to be a part of the Professional Squad’s development. They are exceptionally talented and entering the prime years of their careers, which will allow them to enjoy a strong period of success, supported by coaches and staff who are capable of maximising that potential. The Club is now in a position to move beyond simply competing and to expect to challenge for honours across all formats.

“I have loved the challenge of the role and am grateful to the players, staff, Members and supporters who have contributed to that journey. Coaching and working directly with players has always been where my greatest passion lies, and I feel this is the right time to return to a more hands-on role within the game.

“While I don’t yet know exactly what the next chapter will look like, I’m excited by the opportunities that may lie ahead. I leave with enormous pride in what has been achieved and look forward to seeing many more Kent players go on to represent both Kent and England in the future.”

Working closely with Simon, Lucy Arman has played an important role in developing Kent’s female talent pathway, aligning it with the Club’s wider player development strategy and establishing a stronger performance-based approach to talent identification. 

Lucy has also overseen the development of Kent Women’s first team, working closely with Head Coach James Hockley to build a competitive squad with a strong homegrown core capable of challenging for honours in Tier 2 cricket. Just as importantly, she has worked hard to help build a positive culture around women’s and girls’ cricket across the whole Club, bringing people together and helping to ensure the women’s and girls’ game is valued and supported as an important part of Kent Cricket’s future.

On leaving her role as Head of Women’s Cricket, Lucy Arman said: “Kent Cricket has been a huge part of my life, from playing county cricket from the age of 12, to coaching within the pathway and, ultimately, becoming Head of Women’s Cricket during such an enormous transformation of women’s and girls’ cricket across the country. 

“I’m incredibly proud of everyone involved; the players, staff and parents and everything we have achieved together. The first two years of Tier 2 cricket have certainly been a rollercoaster of emotions, but they have also provided a huge amount of learning for everyone. I am particularly proud of the foundations we have built across the Kent Women’s team and talent pathway. 

“Alongside my management of the Women’s team, developing the talent pathway has been a major project. The aim was always to introduce greater performance measures, a talent identification system and application into the process, enabling our young players to understand and develop their approach to performance cricket.

“The Kent Women have grown in strength this season, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for the group. We have an exceptionally talented group of players and, with the continued progression of our talented U18 players, I know the team will continue to develop, shine and make progress.

“While I don’t yet know exactly what the next chapter will look like, I’m excited to have a break, refuel myself and continue developing my own self-growth. I leave with a huge amount of pride in what has been achieved and look forward to seeing Kent players representing Kent, Tier 1 and England in the future.”

Both Simon & Lucy will be actively involved in the transition period to come, continuing the evolution of the Club’s professional cricket department and ensuring a smooth handover from a position of established direction and structure. The next leadership will build on the work that they have led.

Kent Cricket’s CEO, Michael Wilshaw, said: “Both Simon & Lucy have worked extremely hard and achieved significant accomplishments to create a long-lasting strategy for both Kent Men’s & Women’s cricket that will benefit the Club in the long term.  

“We fully respect their decisions, and will work closely with both of them to ensure a smooth transition as we head into 2027.

“It is a significant change for us, and new leadership in our professional cricket department will have a strong foundation to build from as we plan ahead for the future, thanks to them.

“On behalf of everyone at Kent Cricket, I’d like to thank Simon & Lucy for all of their accomplishments and dedication over the last few years. In their tenures they have delivered successes in our Men’s & Women’s first-teams, and the work that they have done to raise standards across both of our pathways will have a long-lasting positive impact.

“We wish them every success for the future and will always welcome their input into our Club in the future.”