Tuesday, November 1st, 2022

WORCESTERSHIRE MAKE DOUBLE COACHING APPOINTMENT

Worcestershire County Cricket Club is delighted to announce the appointments of Alan Richardson as our new Head Coach and Kadeer Ali as Assistant Head Coach.

Richardson who makes the step up from his current position of Assistant Coach and Kadeer, who has been promoted from 2nd XI Coach, both say they want to build an even closer bond with the Club’s members and supporters.

The pair will take charge of the men’s first team immediately, leading the winter training programme with support from academy coaches when first team and academy players report back in mid-November.

Their decision to bring the professional and academy squads closer together during the winter aims to “accelerate the development of younger players” under the new coaching group’s leadership.

Before joining the coaching staff in 2018, Richardson had a successful playing career, appearing in 169 first-class games, claiming 569 wickets, including 254 in his spell at Worcestershire, and was awarded Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2012. He is a highly regarded coach and has been part of the England coaching staff on several occasions, most recently touring the Caribbean for the IT20 series in February this year.

Kadeer, who started his career at Worcestershire before playing in over 100 first-class games and representing England under-19’s with distinction, has been the 2nd XI coach since 2019.

Further permanent coaching support will also be added to this new setup, with an open process for applications to begin in the coming months.

The recruitment of a Director of Cricket is ongoing.

Paul Pridgeon, Worcestershire’s Cricket Steering Group Chair, said, “On behalf of the Board, it’s a pleasure to welcome Alan and Kadeer into their new roles.

“They both have a deep understanding of the Club and are amongst the most respected and progressive coaches around, having excelled in their coaching roles here and in previous roles.

“They deserve their chance to excel and build on our impressive foundations, and they will be further assisted by other important hires over the coming months.

“We wish them well.”

Alan Richardson, Head Coach, commented, “I’ve been involved in the Club for a long time now and know its rich history. It’s a proud moment for me to take on this role at Worcestershire.

“Kadeer and I always work hard to improve and develop players and we look forward to working more closely with our professional squad and the famous production line of talent from our academy.

“All of our efforts will be on helping these players fulfil their potential, both individually and, most importantly, as a team.

“I feel that we’ve already got a good relationship with our members and supporters, and we’ll be looking to build on that and look forward to sharing lots of memorable moments with them.”

Kadeer Ali, Assistant Head Coach, added, “This is a wonderful opportunity for me and I’m really excited for the future of the Club too.

“The members and supporters really know their cricket and have always been really welcoming to me, and I look forward to spending much more time with them going forward.

“We’ve got a young, hungry squad, and everyone has their best days in front of them. I’m excited about working with the players on a full-time basis.”