The 37-year-old will work closely with newly-appointed Head Coach Tom Moody, a former Warwickshire batsman himself and a former coach of county rivals Worcestershire.

Zimbabwe-born Penney said the opportunity of working with the Sri Lankans was too good to miss.

“I have spent half my life with Warwickshire, and I have enjoyed a wonderful and highly successful career with the Bears, winning trophies and medals along the way, so retiring from all of this was not something I could consider lightly,” he said.

“But when an opportunity came along to start a new career in coaching, and at international level, I simply couldn’t turn it down. I would like to take this opportunity to thanks everybody involved at Warwickshire CCC for their support and encouragement throughout my entire career.”—AFP