Alex Davies has relinquished his role as Warwickshire club captain, with Ed Barnard set to take charge of the side in all formats.
The 31-year-old opener had taken over the captaincy ahead of the 2024 season and enjoyed a productive first year in the role. He topped the County Championship batting averages, scoring 1,115 runs at 50.68, including four centuries.
During his tenure, Warwickshire finished seventh and then fifth in Division One of the Championship. The side also led the North Group of the Vitality Blast on two occasions, although they were unable to advance beyond the quarter-final stage both times.
“Captaining the Bears has been undoubtedly the proudest few years of my career to date,” Davies said. “To be part of moulding and building a squad capable of winning trophies has been a real privilege.
“In order for that to happen, I believe I need to be firing on all cylinders with the bat and gloves which is why I’ll be stepping down from the captaincy duties ahead of the 2026 season.”
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Barnard, who joined Warwickshire from Worcestershire in 2023, already leads the side in the One-Day format and has served as Davies’ deputy in both the County Championship and the Vitality Blast over the past two seasons.
“I couldn’t be passing the Bears on to a better person in Ed,” Davies said. “When asking him to be my vice-captain two years ago it was clear to me that one day he was going to be a great captain, and it’s his time now. I look forward to being there for him every step of the way should he ever need.
“I’d like to say thanks to all the players and staff for their unwavering support throughout my tenure, and look forward to still giving my all to the bear moving forward.”
The 30-year-old Barnard was named captain of the PCA Men’s Team of the Year in 2025 after a standout season in which he scored a career-best 922 Championship runs and claimed 29 wickets.
“I’m very proud and honoured to be offered the chance to captain Warwickshire,” Barnard said. “I’m very aware of following in the footsteps of some great cricketers and people, and it’s humbling to be added to the list. I’ve really enjoyed working under Davo and hope to continue the progress the group has made over recent seasons.”
Warwickshire head coach Ian Westwood praised Davies for his leadership and expressed confidence in Barnard’s appointment.
“I’d firstly like to thank Davo for his commitment to the Captaincy role over the last couple of years. He has poured his heart and soul into leading the group. Even though he won’t continue in the role, we will benefit from having his experience and leadership qualities around the squad.
“Barney is a natural successor and we are delighted he’s accepted the offer to become our next captain. He already has captaincy experience from leading the boys in 50-over cricket and is perfectly placed to take on the mantle in the County Championship and Vitality Blast.
“He is not the loudest in the dressing room but has the enviable quality of demanding respect through the way he conducts himself and offers his opinions in the right way. We’ve got a group who are growing in confidence from the pre-season tour to South Africa and we’re raring to go with Barney at the helm.”
