Nixon has the force of personality to inspire the team

Nixon takes over from Darren Robinson, while club captain Jeremy Snape continues to lead the one-day side.

"I'm delighted to be working with Paul as captain," head coach Tim Boon told the club's website.

"He has consistently been a high performer on the field and as well as being one of the fittest members of the squad, he is a role model to us all."

Boon added: "His appointment will help us develop our policy this year of giving the most promising young players at Grace Road a chance to stake a claim for a regular first team place alongside other senior players."

The club currently lie second from bottom in the Division Two table and have yet to win a Championship game this summer.

But they are hoping Nixon can inspire an upturn after their hopes of retaining their Twenty20 Cup title were ruined by bad weather, which meant five of their eight first round group games being abandoned.

Robinson, meanwhile, is set for a spell in the second Xi to try and rediscover his best form after scoring 407 runs at an average of 31 in the first half of the Championship campaign.