Northamptonshire have named England all-rounder David Willey as captain for this season’s T20 Blast.
Willey, now 33, scored a hat-trick in the final when the Steelbacks first lifted the trophy in 2013.
He then moved to Yorkshire but joins Northants for this season, and returns earlier than expected from the Indian Premier League.
“As a club we need to maximize all his expertise,” said Northants head coach John Sadler.
“He’s played in every tournament in the world, he’s played international cricket, he’s played with the best players and coaches and now he’s bringing that into our dressing room.”
Willey, who made 83 T20 appearances in his first spell with the club, replaces Josh Cobb as skipper.
“Josh has managed the team well in recent years, he has a good cricketing brain and is tactically astute,” Sadler said.
Northants also won the Blast title in 2016, but last season finished seventh in their group, winning just six of their 14 games.
They will start this summer’s competition with a home game against Worcestershire Rapids on May 24.
“With my experience and what I’ve done over the past seven years, I hope I can add value to everyone in the dressing room and to the club as a whole,” Willey said.
“I want to give something back to a club and a community that have given me so much over the years.”
