Top England Cricket role for Alumnus

Paul (Law 1980) represented England in 30 Tests between 1981 and 1988 and 28 one-day internationals with more than half his Tests coming against the powerful West Indies team of the 1980s. He played in both the 1981 and 1985 Ashes-winning series, the 1984/5 series win in India and the Cricket World Cup final in 1987 in Kolkata.

In 1980 he helped Middlesex to the double of the County Championship and Gillette Cup. During his playing career he was in two County Championship-winning Kent teams and four County Championship-winning Middlesex teams as well as being on the winning team on three occasions in the Benson and Hedges Cup and three occasions in the Gillette/NatWest domestic competition. Paul was forced to retire from cricket after suffering a freak accident when a bail struck him in the eye during a Sunday League match.

While studying law at Exeter University, Downton represented England Universities at cricket to add to the international honours he earned at youth level in both cricket and rugby union.

He is a qualified coach and since retiring from cricket has been an active member of the Middlesex, ECB Cricket and MCC Committees and forged a successful career in the City with HSBC, Cazenove and JP Morgan.

He will take up his new role in February 2014.

“We’d like to offer our congratulations to Paul on his new role, which comes as great news. Given his notable accomplishments as an England cricketer, as well his vast business experience gained during his time in the City, we are certain Paul will oversee more continued success for English cricket’s national teams,” said Phil Attwell, Director of Sport & Deputy Director of Campus Services.

“Exeter has a very strong reputation for sport – we were ranked 5th in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) league in 2012-2013, with our women’s and men’s 1st team cricketers reaching their respective BUCS championship final and semi finals in June. There can be no greater inspiration for our student athletes than to see the achievements of graduates like Paul, both in the sporting and business arena.”