John Simpson is ready for a fresh start, leading Sussex in their County Championship opener against Northamptonshire tomorrow (Friday 5 April).
Leaving Middlesex to sign a four-year contract at the 1st Central County Ground last October, the 35-year-old is eager to make his mark after being appointed red-ball captain for the coming season.
He said: “I’m really excited about what we’re going to do this season. I moved down here full time in February. It’s been a nice opportunity to get my feet underneath the table and get amongst it.
“We hope it’s going to be a special season for us and we feel like we’ve got a really good squad, one that can challenge. Hopefully, we play good cricket and will be challenging in all formats come September.”
After 16 years, 866 dismissals and more than 13,000 runs in his 16 years at Lord’s, the veteran keeper was reluctant to say goodbye to his former county.
He said: “It was a hugely tough decision, a very emotional one. Asking to be released in my final year, it took me a little bit of time to get over.
“But once I came down here and started training with the boys and got into it, things became a little easier.”
Alongside his red-ball captaincy, Simpson aims to lead from the front in the shorter formats. He’s also likely to take the reins as captain for the One Day Cup, although England’s Tymal Mills will skipper the T20 side.
Simpson said: “It’s a very different challenge down here. At home, we’re playing on a very good white-ball wicket, I’d probably say a little bit smaller than Lords as well. It’s a new thing for me.
“Tymal has been doing a great job of getting around the lads and giving us a clear idea of what he expects and wants us to do this season.
“Hopefully, I can be a key contributor to that but, also, my role is going to be to help him as well.
“When he’s bowling, he’s got enough to think about in terms of delivering his skills so it’ll be down to myself and a couple of others to make sure the fielding positions are right.
“One thing I’m really looking forward to is Mills running down the hill and Jofra running up the hill and vice versa.”
Although he won’t feature in red-ball cricket, paceman Jofra Archer is likely to compete in early rounds of the Blast as he gears up for the T20 World Cup in June.
With 164 T20 and 103 List A appearances under his belt, Bury native Simpson will keep wicket in all formats this season, assuming he’s not selected for the Hundred, which takes place at the same time as the One Day Cup in August.
Simpson, who’s previously represented the Northern Superchargers, said: “My ambition is to play in the Hundred in August. I didn’t play last year but played the previous two seasons.
“Ultimately, it’s about me performing for Sussex. If I have a strong season and the team has a strong season, there’s no reason there can’t be four or five others involved.”
Alongside his T20 skipper, Simpson is one of a handful of Sussex’s squad with international experience, taking the England gloves for three 50-over bouts in 2021.
That July, interim captain Ben Stokes called on Simpson when England’s entire first choice squad were forced into isolation after a covid outbreak.
Scrambling for replacements, Simpson and a handful of fellow county pros were rushed to Cardiff for the opening game of a three-match series against Pakistan.
Despite the bizarre nature of his debut, Simpson remembers the game fondly.
He said: “I was a Cheltenham at the time, not even thinking about playing. And all of a sudden, you’re being pulled out of the game and whisked off to a hotel in Cardiff. You’ve got to lock yourself in a room, have dinner and then hopefully pass your covid test. So, yeah, it was all quite surreal.”
England won all three games and Simpson starred with nine catches, including a smart leg-side take to fox former Sussex man Faheem Ashraf.
He added: “To win that series 3-0 and to play at Lord’s as well was very special to me. Yeah, to represent my country was a dream come true.
“I’d love to add to those caps but, realistically, I think my days of playing for England are numbered. What I want to do now is concentrate on Sussex and hopefully win things this year.”
Simpson is due to make his Sussex debut tomorrow (Friday 5 April) as Sussex get their County Championship campaign under way at home to Northamptonshire.
