Wayne Madsen reappointed Derbyshire Captain after nine-year gap

Wayne Madsen has been reappointed as Derbyshire captain, nine seasons after he last held the role. The veteran batter, who led the team to the County Championship Division Two title in 2012, will once again take charge, becoming only the fourth player in the club’s history to return to the position after stepping down.

Madsen, a South African-born Italian sportsman, has been a key figure at Derbyshire since joining the club in 2009. In addition to his cricketing achievements, he previously played field hockey for the South Africa men's national field hockey team. A right-handed batsman and occasional right-arm off-spin bowler, he has played domestic cricket in both South Africa and England, as well as franchise cricket. In 2023, he made his debut for the Italy national cricket team, qualifying through his Italian ancestry.

Madsen follows in the footsteps of AE ‘Bertie’ Lawton, John Chapman, and Luke Sutton, who all resumed captaincy after a period away. His return provides an opportunity to add to his already impressive leadership record.

“I’m honoured to captain Derbyshire again,” Madsen said. “This club has been a huge part of my career, and I’m excited about leading the team as we push for success in all formats.”

Madsen first took over as captain in 2012 following Sutton’s unexpected retirement. In his debut season as full-time skipper, he guided Derbyshire to their first major trophy in nearly two decades. Over his 67 first-class matches as captain, Madsen scored 4,459 runs at an average of 40.90, including nine centuries. He also played a key role in one-day and T20 cricket, later emerging as one of Derbyshire’s standout players in the shortest format.

Derbyshire Heritage Officer David Griffin reflected on Madsen’s impact.

“Wayne’s leadership in 2012 was instrumental in our promotion to Division One,” Griffin said. “His consistency with the bat and ability to lead by example made him a key figure during his time as captain. It’s exciting to see him take on the role again.”

Madsen’s last official game as captain was in September 2015 against Leicestershire, but he briefly stepped in as a stand-in skipper in 2021. With his reappointment, he has a chance to move up the club’s all-time captaincy list, where he currently sits just behind Dominic Cork and Billy Godleman. However, it remains unlikely that anyone will surpass Kim Barnett’s record of 537 matches as Derbyshire captain.

As he prepares for the new season, Madsen is eager to embrace the challenge once more.

“We have a talented squad, and I’m looking forward to working with the players and staff to build something special,” he said. “There’s a lot of potential in this team, and I can’t wait to get started.”