Worcestershire Assistant Coach, Alan Richardson, has earned more international recognition and will work next week with the England Lions bowlers for their two matches against South Africa, including one on his home ground of New Road.
Richardson will operate alongside England Assistant Coach Paul Collingwood, who has been named Lions Head Coach for the games at Taunton on July 12 and New Road on July 14.
Worcestershire’s Bowling Coach was part of the England coaching set-up for the Royal London Series win over Pakistan last summer and Pace Bowling Coach for the IT20 Series against the West Indies in the Caribbean in January.
It will give him more invaluable experience in a different environment before Worcestershire Head Coach Alex Gidman links up with Birmingham Phoenix as part of their coaching team for The Hundred for the second year running.
Gidman said: “I am very lucky to have that opportunity, and I’ve said all along that I’m a relatively young coach, and I need to learn as much as the players do.
“With Alan (Richardson) spending time with England Lions for the two games next week, we are getting some good experience between the two of us outside of this environment to go away and bounce ideas off each other.
“The more people and environments we can learn from and be part of is only going to benefit Worcestershire.
“It is like players going worldwide and playing in T20 competitions and gaining experience and knowledge.
“We all need to keep evolving, learning, studying, reading, and trying to improve as much as we can.”