Sussex legend Murray Goodwin is returning to Hove as the club's new batting coach.

Goodwin saw off competition from a strong group of candidates which included his former captain Chris Adams to be handed the new role.

The 43-year-old will be a popular choice among Sussex supporters having spent 12 run-laden years at Hove where he helped the county win the Championship title three times along with the C&G Trophy and Twenty20 Cup.

The former Zimbabwe international scored over 24,000 runs for Sussex and head coach Mark Davis believes his experience will be invaluable as the county bid to bounce back from relegation to division two of the Championship last year and improve their fortunes in white ball cricket.

Davis said: "I am thrilled to have Murray joining us. His vast batting experience, gained from many years of first-class and international cricket all over the world will be invaluable to Sussex cricket.

"I am confident Murray's relentless approach to batting and his technical expertise will be of great value. He has a brilliant work ethic and a passion for teaching the game, which is a vital ingredient in any elite coach.

"I am sure he will be welcomed back by everyone at Sussex and I look forward to him becoming an integral part of our coaching team.”

Goodwin was released by Sussex at the end of the 2012 season and spent the next two years playing for Glamorgan before announcing his retirement in October 2014.

He currently lives in Australia but is due to return to Hove at the end of the month in time for the opening Championship game against Northamptonshire on April 10.

Goodwin said: "I believe I can bring to a very talented squad some belief and options on playing certain situations in all forms of the game. I'm hoping to try and add a winning culture to this talented squad.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to come back to my second home. When I applied for the role I was always hopeful but to actually have been considered above the many applicants who applied is very humbling. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of friends at this great club."