ARUL Suppiah has been appointed as the director of cricket at Queen’s College in Taunton and will take up his new appointment at the beginning of January.

The Somerset all-rounder was forced to take an early retirement in the middle of the 2013 season after continuing problems with both knees.

Suppiah, who is 30, has been part of the Somerset scene since coming to Millfield School on a cricketing scholarship at the age of 13. He made his first team debut in 2002 and made cricketing history when he set a new world record for the best bowling figures in T20 cricket after taking six wickets for five runs against Glamorgan in Cardiff in July 2011.

In announcing his appointment Chris Alcock, the Headmaster at Queen’s College said: “We are delighted that Arul is coming to join us. I have watched him for a number of years playing at the County Ground and the fact that he has had to retire is sad news for Somerset but excellent news for us.”

“Arul will be directing the cricket and the coaching throughout the college, from the junior age groups right up through to the seniors and also helping Andy Free with the First XI.

“We are looking to develop our cricketers as well as the game at Queen’s College where we have got a good record up to now but hoping that we will get even stronger.

The Headmaster added: “Arul has a good degree and is going to be teaching some accountancy and economics with us, and we are looking forward to him joining us in January.”

Head of sport Andy Free said: We are delighted to have such a fine cricketer and a good person coming to join our staff here at Queen’s.”

“We are looking for Arul to work hard in developing our cricket academy, particularly at the younger end and help develop the players and bring that little bit extra to us.”

Suppiah said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Queen’s College and couldn’t have asked for more. I met the Headmaster and fell in love with the place immediately and had no hesitation in taking up the job offer.

“It has been a pretty varied and hectic year for me what with me being awarded a benefit year by Somerset and then having to retire midway through it, but that is probably why I worked to get my degree when I was younger which meant that I had something to fall back on.

Suppiah added: “It’s a new challenge to me in my career and I am really looking forward to it, so can’t wait to get started in January.”