Chris Silverwood is set to return to Essex after being appointed as the club’s director of cricket. Silverwood will take up the role in mid-December, succeeding Anthony McGrath after the latter moved to Headingley as Yorkshire head coach.

Silverwood’s initial tenure at Essex saw the club embark on one of the most-successful periods in their history. He oversaw their promotion in 2016, an achievement that was topped the following summer by a first County Championship title in 25 years.

Although Silverwood moved on, initially as England bowling coach before taking over from Trevor Bayliss as head coach in 2019, Essex continued to land silverware under McGrath, who stepped up from assistant coach under Silverwood to guide the club to a Championship and Blast double in 2019, and the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020.

“I’m absolutely delighted to return to Essex,” Silverwood said. “It’s a club that holds very special memories for me, with the success we enjoyed in 2016 and 2017, and it’s been great to see the success Anthony McGrath has had in the years in between.

“There is work to be done around the squad, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead, with an emphasis on working hard to help develop our home-grown players.

“Building on the work done by Mags, I’m focused on getting the squad to a point where we have strength in depth, with a strong core of our own local players. I’m excited to get straight to work to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible and that the squad is in the best possible shape to compete on all fronts next summer.”

Silverwood’s time in charge of England was significantly affected by the restrictions around touring caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and he left the role after a 4-0 Ashes defeat in 2021-22. He subsequently coached Sri Lanka for a two-year period, stepping down after the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

Essex restructured their club hierarchy over the summer, with John Stephenson stepping down as chief executive and Dan Feist being appointed general manager. McGrath was promoted from head coach to director of cricket, but opted to return to his native Yorkshire at the end of the season.

Jason Gallian, chair of Essex’s cricket committee, said: “We’re thrilled to announce the reappointment of Chris, who was the outstanding applicant in a comprehensive recruitment process.

“We were clear throughout that we were focused on making the right decision, not just a quick one, and following this process, we firmly believe we have stuck to that and appointed the best candidate.

“I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the Cricket Committee, as well as Alastair Cook on the interview panel, who contributed significantly with their expertise.

“Having spoken to Chris, I know how motivated he is to make his mark in the coming years, and his desire is as high as ever to take on the role of director of cricket and lead on the strategic side.

“Within that, he will play a very important role with a talented men’s first XI, and he is focused on winning trophies with this club and growing the game throughout our region. Everyone welcomes Chris back, and we look forward to once again seeing him around the Cloud County Ground and hopefully leading the side to success on the field.”