Robinson backs Red Rose to bloom

Mark Robinson thinks Peter Moores can repeat his early coaching success at Lancs

Peter Moores has received a ringing endorsement of his talents from an illustrious former colleague, after he was named the new coach of Lancashire.

Moores, who was sacked as England coach only last month, will begin his duties at Old Trafford when he gives his first Red Rose press conference today.

He will do so with sincere best wishes from his former Sussex protege Mark Robinson.

Robinson, who has added two more county championships to the maiden title his predecessor Moores helped bring to the south coast in 2003, has no doubt Lancashire have made the right appointment.

“It is great news. I certainly see Peter making a success of any job,” the Sussex coach said.

“That is what Peter did at Sussex - putting a lot of foundations in place, which we are still seeing the benefit of today.”

Moores’ long-term project at Sussex - he joined as a player in 1985, became captain in 1997 and was subsequently coach for eight seasons until moving to the ECB’s national academy - is just the sort of ‘life’s work’ Robinson fears is endangered in the modern era.

“The game is changing quickly, and increasingly there is this constant drive for instant success - we have seen that with the England job,” he said.

“That’s not to say I don’t think Peter will have instant success at Lancashire, but the fair way to judge anybody is after they’ve had an amount of time to put their plans in place.

“People are less and less prepared and likely to give people time.”

Macclesfield-born former wicketkeeper Moores spoke of his delight at being granted the opportunity to coach the county he grew up watching.

“He has said it himself; it is his dream job,” added Robinson.

Moores and Robinson played in the same Sussex team - here on the losing side in the 1997 NatWest Trophy semi against Warwickshire at Edgbaston

When Moores began his coaching career at Hove, Sussex had not won the championship in their entire history - after more than a century of trying.

Lancashire last managed it outright in 1934, and chief executive Jim Cumbes has already made it abundantly clear he has appointed Moores in the hope he will be the man to put that right.

“We always knew this position would create a lot of interest, but we could not have envisaged the amount of world-class candidates who applied for the role,” he said.

“However, Peter's resume speaks for itself - and what he achieved with Sussex is the envy of all counties.

“Lancashire is one of the biggest cricket clubs in the world, and success is what our members and supporters demand and long to see.”

Moores will begin his quest in eerily familiar surroundings - and he can count on a wealth of long-term well-wishers, as well as tough opposition, when he takes Lancashire to Hove for their first LV County Championship match of the 2009 season on April 21.

“We’ve got them first game. It is fate - you see it all the time in sport,” Robinson notes - and he, for one, is already looking forward to the match.

“He started it all down here in 1997 - and then his first game for a new club is back down here.

“We’ll always be grateful for the job he did here right up until the time he left, and he’ll always be welcome.”