Andrew McDonald admits he is "very proud" to be leading Birmingham Phoenix into the inaugural Hundred campaign next summer.
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The Victorian is hugely excited to be part of cricket history in the brand new competition – but will not be satisfied just to be part of it.
McDonald has a track record of big success, having achieved a domestic coaching treble in his native Australia, and intends to add to that by making Birmingham Phoenix serious contenders for the first Hundred title.
We want to win. As professionals, you want to win every tournament you are involved in and we don’t just want Birmingham Phoenix to be just part of the first Hundred – we want to be winners of the first Hundret.
Andrew McDonald
“I’m very proud to be part of this exciting new competition and I think you can see from the reaction to the draft and since that the excitement is starting to grow in a lot of people,” he said. “The 100 has some unique elements to it so it will be really interesting to work out how to approach them.
“It is new and that is exciting, but we are not just turning up to be part of something new. We want to win. As professionals, you want to win every tournament you are involved in and we don’t just want Birmingham Phoenix to be just part of the first Hundred – we want to be winners of the first Hundred.”
A powerful force on Birmingham’s side, believes McDonald, will be the pulsating big-match atmosphere for home games at Edgbaston. He sampled that as a player with Leicestershire Foxes on T20 Finals Day and reckons that having that sort of backing behind them will only lift a Phoenix squad which will include plenty of local players.
“I know how great it is to play at Edgbaston on a big-match day from when I played in T20 Finals Day,” he said. “It’s the sort of atmosphere you just want to experience again and again. Edgbaston has one of the best atmospheres in the world and we want to get the stadium rocking with some really exciting cricket.
“I am very happy with the squad. There is a big local element with Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Pat Brown, Adam Hose, Henry Brookes and Rikki Wessels and, alongside them, some world-class guys from around the world. It’s a great mix.
“I know the players are really excited about the tournament. Some people have been sceptical about the new format but plenty were sceptical about T20 when it started in 2003 and that just went from strength to strength.
“Anything new will always have its critics but a lot of people are excited about The Hundred and I think that excitement is only going to build the closer we get to the tournament.”
