David Willey, the England all-rounder, has been elevated to captaincy at Yorkshire Cricket Club for 2020's Vitality Blast, after club captain, Steven Patterson decided to step away from T20 cricket.

"To be a captain at any club, let alone the biggest in the country, is a great honour," Willey told the club website.

"Hopefully this is the first step and we can have a successful year in 2020."

The 29-year-old had recently signed a three-year deal with Yorkshire, a club he moved to in 2016 from Northamptonshire. This move to captaincy comes as a major shot in the arm for him, after a dismal personal 2019 season for the County following him being axed from the England World Cup squad to accommodate Jofra Archer.

"Over the past four or five years I've been in and out with Yorkshire due to England commitments, but having been left out of the World Cup, my pathway for this summer has become very clear, which is really exciting," he said, coming in with renewed vigour.

"I'm very much looking forward to getting my teeth back in to county cricket and all formats. Part of that will be drawing on my experience in T20 cricket and wanting to lead the team as well as I possibly can."

Over the last few years, Willey has been seen as a white-ball specialist, having had successful stints in several T20 leagues around the globe. He intends to bank on every bit of that experience.

"I've played T20 cricket all around the world, a World Cup, IPL, Big Bash, I've been in Finals Day four times myself, so hopefully I can draw on all of that experience and bring that to the table. We've got a brilliant group of players and my job will be to sit in the background and let the lads go about their business and we hope to go a long way," he adds.

"We've got a phenomenal record in red-ball cricket, but for a club of this size, to not have silverware in white-ball cricket is very disappointing."

Willey knows exactly how to win a tournament, having been part of Northants' title win in 2013, with a hat-trick of his own in the final. Patterson, 36, meanwhile, would continue to remain the club's captain for the County Championship and the 50-over tournament.