Thorpe to join Lions as batting coach

Graham Thorpe, the former England and Surrey batsman, has been appointed batting coach for the England Lions tour of the United Arab Emirates in February. Thorpe, who has been Surrey's batting coach since 2008, will join an England Lions coaching team which includes David Parsons, ECB Performance Director, and Kevin Shine, ECB Lead Fast Bowling Coach.

"I'm really looking forward to the tour and working with the Lions squad," said Thorpe. "It's a great opportunity for me and I'm grateful to Surrey for giving me the freedom to take it on. Over the course of my time with the team I hope that I can offer them some good advice and be someone they learn a lot from."

"I am delighted to welcome Graham Thorpe as part of the England Lions coaching team and I have no doubt that the squad of aspiring England players will benefit from his experiences both as a hugely successful international cricketer and now a coach," added David Parsons, the ECB Performance Director. "We will face some tough opposition during our tour of the UAE and the coaching team will be working hard to ensure that we are well prepared."

The three-week Lions tour includes three Twenty20 games against Pakistan A, followed by Twenty20 matches against UAE and England. These will be followed by three 50-over fixtures against Pakistan A at the DSC Stadium, Dubai.