Life has come full circle for Paul Downton as he is back at Kent County Cricket Club 42 years after beginning as a professional cricketer at the club.

The 60-year-old has been the club’s director of cricket for just over six weeks and is enjoying life already.

It has been all change at Kent in recent months with Downton stepping into the newly created role, Ben Green taking on chief executive responsibilities and Sam Billings the new club captain.

Mr Downton said: “It’s slightly odd to think I walked up that road into the ground in 1976 to become a professional cricketer. But it is terrific to come back and have this opportunity and I’m excited by the start that has been made.

“There’s a clean sheet of paper for everybody and the atmosphere and environment is outstanding.

Mr Downton was born in Farnborough and made his first class debut for Kent in 1977 as understudy to Alan Knott.

He joined Middlesex in 1980 and made his Test debut a year later, earning 30 Test caps and 28 One Day International appearances.

At Middlesex, he was part of a side that won four County Championships, three NatWest Trophies and two B&H Cups.

He was forced to retire in 1991 following a freak accident when a bail struck him in the eye. He then had a career in The City before serving as managing director of the England Cricket.

Mr Downton said: “It took me a time on whether I wanted to come back into cricket again (after his job at the ECB).

“In the end I kept coming back to the opportunity. I’m a Kent person and have lived in Kent most of my life. I have worked with Ben Green before - I think he will be a huge asset for the club - and I knew we would work well together and the more I talked to people and looked at what a good opportunity it is.

“I think there is so much change going on in the way we run the club and move forward. It’s a great treat for me to finish my career where I started.”

The director of cricket role will oversee all cricket activities including our age group squads, academy and first teams with responsibility for recruitment of coaches and players, player contracts, scouting and development.

He added: “I want to let Matt Walker do the coaching and the players do the playing. I will be responsible for the organisation and running of cricket in Kent.

“We have a budget, from a committee point of view, and it’s up to me and the cricket guys to make the decisions and we have made the signings we wanted to.

“We are very clear in what we want going forward. It’s just about raising standards and aspirations and I’m looking forward to competing.”