Warwickshire fans gathered for a Members Forum at Edgbaston and a chance to question Chief Executive Stuart Cain, Performance Director Gavin Larsen, and First Team Coach Mark Robinson.
Around 40 Members attended the Q&A (19 Sept) where they probed the panel on everything from Bears’ 2024 campaign and overseas recruitment, to the ECB’s The Hundred plans and the Edgbaston Masterplan hotel project.
Warwickshire enjoyed a successful white ball qualification campaign, reaching the Quarter Final and Semi Final, respectively, of the Vitality Blast and One Day Cup competitions.
But Wednesday’s innings defeat to Essex left the red ball side with just one win from 13 County Championship games.
The Club is conducting a detailed performance review alongside the Cricket Audit Committee which features former Bears Asif Din and Ian Bell, plus leading high performance specialist Dan Ashworth.
Former New Zealand international Larsen said the Club’s ambitions were dented after a frustrating overseas recruitment period.
“The overseas recruitment didn’t work how we intended,” he said. “But we went through a very robust process around what skill set we wanted to recruit and what players we wanted. We wanted Hassan to return. He was brilliant in 2023, and Hass loves the Club.
“But we got burnt on three notes. We didn’t get him at the top end of the season. At the eleventh hour he was held back in Pakistan for a national team bootcamp, so we lost him for a few weeks at the start.
“Then he was called up for a white ball series in Ireland, a tour in which he didn’t play, and finally he picked up an elbow injury.
“We’d also lined up a top drawer Aussie quick bowler who we thought would take our bowling attack to another level. We’d verbally agreed a deal but there was a delay in getting him over, he picked up a few niggles, and it didn’t happen.
“Aamir Jamal then came into the frame. He’d done brilliantly with Pakistan in Australia but picked up a back injury and returned home as he wasn’t reaching the levels he’d demonstrated just months earlier.
“So it’s been frustrating. We did our due diligence but some things were out of our hands.
“Domestically I don’t think we’re far off. Group winners in the Blast, one game away from the One Day Cup final, and no other club had more red ball bonus points. But we need to improve and be more mentally formidable on the field. Bears fans rightly want success.”
A second Members Forum will be held on the evening of 3 October to allow more fans an opportunity to voice their views.
Robinson said the Club has developed an environment for young players to thrive: “In the last few years I feel we’ve had some batters with very high ceilings, Yates, Mousley, Bethell and now Hamza Shaikh coming through.
“I love young players and am duty bound to try and develop them the best I can and give them opportunities.
“But when they’re young you know they’ll be inconsistent. That’s a challenge. But you need to give room for these guys to improve and give them time.
“We’re trying to grow players and grow environments in which they can thrive. We’ve achieved that with Mousley and Bethell being selected for England.
“They will grow for that experience, they will be tested, and in time Warwickshire will get the benefit back from them in big games. To win big games you need big players to stand up and you need players who’ve been there and done it.
“But whilst developing those players also comes the pressure to win games.”
PA system and heating upgrades in the Members’ Tom Dollery lounge, accessibility for people with mobility issues, and plans to return to Rugby School in 2025 were also discussed during the forum.
Off the field, Cain commented on a potential The Hundred investor in Birmingham Phoenix.
He said: “We need to assess interested parties and look at who it’s right to work with. A big consideration is to find a partner that’s not just right for The Hundred but one that’s right for Warwickshire and Edgbaston.
“We don’t want to sell our controlling interest in the Phoenix. We believe we should be in control of all cricket that’s played at Edgbaston, not to simply be a landlord for a few weeks in the middle of the season.
“It should be integrated properly into the Club. And there should be some of our players and some of our support staff running across Bears and Phoenix.
“We will look at what investors best fit the Bears culture, best fit the West Midlands and best fit our aspirations.”
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