'The view is to be winning Division One' - Paul Farbrace sets out long-term Sussex vision after Division Two promotion and title win

In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Radio Sussex, Farbrace discussed several key subjects at Sussex like Ollie Robinson’s contributions during 2024, Jofra Archer’s planned return to action in 2025 and which players will be leaving the club this winter.

Most importantly, Farbrace was quick to praise everyone around the club who had contributed to an outstanding 2024 season which ended with silverware on the final day.

Speaking just before his side’s title was confirmed, Farbrace said: “It’s not just about me. There’s a whole group of people who’ve worked exceptionally hard to give Sussex the best chance.

“James Kirtley [bowling coach] and Ian Salisbury [head coach from 2020-22] worked incredibly hard to help the likes of Henry Crocombe, Jack Carson, Tom Haines, Tom Clark, and Oli Carter.

“It’s also a reward for a lot of people. [Chairman] Jon Filby, the board, the committee, so it’s nice for them to get the rewards for what they’ve done.”

Amidst another impressive performance against Middlesex which resulted in Sussex cantering towards a 250-run first innings bonus point target to secure the title after taking all 10 of the visitors’ wickets for 271 runs, the growth of a previously under-performing side was completed.

For a county that had only won three of their 33 First Class matches between 2020 and the time Farbrace came in for the 2023 season, to finish 3rd in the head coach’s first campaign and as Division Two champions now reflects a remarkable turnaround.

“In Championship cricket, we’re 12 months ahead of where others might be looking at us,” Farbrace admitted.

“We weren’t ready to go up last year. We didn’t have the experience that we’ve got on the field this season. We’ve got a lot more experience around our team now and that’s why I think we are ready to go up.”

Farbrace explained that much of this experience was thanks to the club’s recruitment in the previous 24 months.

“John Simpson and Danny Lamb were signed to help us get up, but also with the aim of them playing in Division One,” said the head coach.

“The overseas signings as well; we’ve re-signed Jayden Seales, Nathan McAndrew, and we’re hoping to announce that Jaydev Unadkat will come back for the last two months of next season.

“With Daniel Hughes coming back for the whole of next season, we’ve got all of our overseas players in place.

“Along with Ollie Robinson, they are all Division One cricketers. We signed them with a view that we would want to be in Division One.”

Given that reaching Division One was the second stage of Farbrace’s ‘cricket strategy’ that he presented upon arriving at Sussex, thoughts automatically turn to what ambitions the head coach and his squad now have.

“It will be a challenge [next season]. What I am going to say is, we’re going to compete in Division One,” said Farbrace.

“Within the cricket strategy that I laid out to the board when I took the job, year one, we’d be competing for promotion, year two, we’d be there or thereabouts for promotion, and then the first year in Division One we’d be looking to consolidate around mid-table.

“Over the next two years, you’d be looking to finish in the top two with a view to winning it. So within five years, the view is to be winning Division One.

“Somerset have shown us that you don’t have to be a Test ground to be competing [to win Division One].”

When it comes to those that fuelled Sussex’s bid to return to Division One for the first time since 2015, several names stick out.

With 50 County Championship wickets in 2024, off-spinner Jack Carson was instrumental, while captain John Simpson was also magnificent with 1,197 runs, in addition to 42 catches and two stumpings behind the stumps.

A veteran of the 2015 squad that went down, however, was also at the heart of the achievement in Ollie Robinson.

Farbrace admitted that the fact his stepson had not been selected for England since their India tour in January 2024 “has helped” Sussex’s cause.

“It’s not just his performance, it’s the experience he brings, the calmness he brings. It’s just the experience we needed,” said Farbrace.

With England’s latest set of central contracts set to be announced shortly, Farbrace was coy on what the news would hold for Robinson.

“That’s for the England selectors to decide. If he isn’t [England-contracted], then he’s with us full-time.”

This is something the club dealt with at the end of 2023 as well, with Farbrace revealing it was easy to ask Robinson to extend on the south coast back then.

Farbrace explained it was a case of: “Let’s see what happens with England, sign with us for one more year, and let’s work out the best way forward.”

Another big-name asset in Sussex’s squad was a key point of discussion after his recent performances, too.

Jofra Archer took impressive figures of 2-33 to help dismiss Australia in the fourth ODI of a five-match series at Lord’s during Sussex’s match against Middlesex, and with the fast bowler’s return being closely managed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), there is an ambition of more sightings of Archer at Hove.

“The plan’s been very straightforward and clear from the start from [England managing director] Rob Key.

“[Jofra] wasn’t going to play any red-ball cricket [in 2024], he was only going to play white-ball cricket.

“The plan now is for him to be playing next year in the India [Test] series at home, which means he’s going to have to play some four-day cricket for us before the India series, which is exciting.

“To have him available to play some Division One matches for us will be brilliant.”

Despite only playing a single game for Sussex in 2024 – the T20 Blast Quarter-Final win over Lancashire Lightning – Archer was a regular figure around training and pre-season action.

The 29-year-old remains an integral member of the culture at Hove, despite his regular forays with England.

“He cares an awful lot,” said Farbrace.

“He helped Jayden Seales settle in during pre-season, being a good mate; he’s helped Henry Crocombe, Sean Hunt, helping him with his angle of approach. He gives so much.”

“He loves being at Sussex and he knows that Sussex has been good to him.”

Elsewhere, there was confirmation that plans for player training were already underway for the winter and the 2025 season.

On squad news, Farbrace put an end to speculation on the likes of Ari Karvelas, whose contract was set to expire this winter, and confirmed just one outgoing.

“All of our own players are re-signed,” said Farbrace.

“Jack Campbell is the only one who will be moving on.”

Farbrace also gave an insight into the process of securing player moves for winter practice.

“We’ve already got some very clear plans for the winter,” said the 57-year-old.

“What we’ve done is sat down with all of the players in the last week and gone through an analysis of their summer. All of the staff put together a report on each player and that will shape their winter programme.

“Bertie Foreman and Henry Rogers are heading off to Manly [Warringah] Cricket Club, Oli Carter’s heading out to Newcastle [in New South Wales], there’s a couple that are going to be in and around the England Lions camp in the winter. We know that we’ve got two.

“Jack Carson’s going out to play grade cricket in Adelaide, Sean Hunt too.

“Archie Lenham’s going out in January, there’s a few that are looking to go Zimbabwe and play some cricket in January to February time.”

Pre-season, training, however, would look slightly different in 2025 as per the head coach’s latest update.

“At the moment, we haven’t got the budget to do a pre-season trip like we did [to India] last year. But it would be nice to get a pre-season trip,” said Farbrace.

“Ideally, we’d like to do something and we are working with a couple of people to look at potential options for that.

“[The players] will be back in from the second week of November, full-time, for fitness work. Then January through to the middle of March, we’ll be doing four days a week.

“Monday, Tuesday, we’ll do red ball; Thursday, Friday, we do white ball cricket, and that’s very focused for each player on what they need to work at.”

After a pre-season that began in March 2024 and a competition season that has lasted from early April to late September, comprising 14 Championship matches, 16 T20 Blast games and eight One-Day Cup outings, the workload of summer has taken its toll on everyone at Sussex.

“I can’t wait to have a little bit of a break,” Farbrace admitted.

However, like all cricket fans, Farbrace’s time away is never truly an escape.

“I’m heading off on Friday for a week to Cyprus,” said the head coach.

“The only things I’ll be packing are a few books and my notebook, because there’s no doubt I’ll be sat, be halfway through a chapter and I’ll be thinking about [Tom] Haines’ batting, or [Tom] Alsop, and I’ll have to make a few notes.”