Yorkshire’s Farbrace is targeted by Sri Lanka

Farbrace is thought to be one of several names in the frame to replace existing coach Graham Ford, who will leave his post in January due to family reasons.

Also in contention is said to be Stephen Fleming, the former New Zealand captain and current coach of Chennai Super Kings, who played for Yorkshire in 2003.

Peter Moores, the former England coach and current Lancashire coach, has also been linked with the job, as has Ruwan 
Kalpage, the former Sri Lanka off-spinner and current fielding coach, and Shane Duff, who has previously worked with Sri Lanka as a trainer.

Farbrace, 46, was Sri Lanka’s assistant coach from 2007-09 before leaving to rejoin his former club Kent as head coach.

He was wounded in the Lahore terrorist attack in 2009, when gunmen opened fire on the Sri Lankan team coach, and he remains friends with a number of Sri Lanka players.

Farbrace joined Yorkshire in 2011 and has helped oversee the development of the club’s young players.

He has also played an important role in helping to improve Yorkshire’s fielding, which was a major factor in their progress to the Twenty20 Cup final and Twenty20 Champions League in 2012.

Commenting on speculation linking Farbrace to the Sri Lanka position, Mark Arthur, the Yorkshire chief executive, said it reflected the esteem in which the club’s coaches are held.

“It is inevitable, with the progress Yorkshire has made on the cricket pitch over the last couple of years, and with the number of players representing England at all levels, that our coaches will be in the frame for international appointments as and when positions become available,” he said.

Farbrace, who played 40 first-class matches and 28 List A games as a wicketkeeper for Kent and Middlesex, cut his coaching teeth with England’s Under-17 and Under-15 sides.

He had a spell as coach of the England women’s team and also worked with England Under-19s.

Farbrace returned to Kent as director of their Academy before joining Sri Lanka as assistant to the Australian Trevor Bayliss.