Ashley Giles and Jim Troughton today set out their vision for the next era of Warwickshire cricket.
The Bears are looking to the future under the two men who have a background of success, having been involved as players and coaches in the winning of numerous trophies across all formats for the club.
Now they are looking to add further trophies – while also ensuring that Edgbaston remains an engine of young talent capable of delivering success for the county and producing players for England’s team.
My role is a new one to me and much broader than those I have had before. I am really looking forward to it.
Ashley Giles
In a ground-breaking move, Giles has returned to Warwickshire in a newly-created role of Sport Director after two years as director of cricket at Lancashire. He will oversee all cricket matters within the club, including all first-team Men’s and Women’s cricket, the Academy and High Performance Pathway.
Giles will be primarily office-based and, whilst attending some games, will not be on the road with the first team throughout the season.
It is Troughton, who steps up from fielding coach to the role of First Team Coach, who will be hands on with the first team. He will lead all selectorial decisions for the first XI, along with his management team of captain Ian Bell, batting and 2nd XI coach Tony Frost and bowling coach Alan Richardson.
It is an exciting time for the club as they look to push on from a 2016 season in which the team was inconsistent yet still won one of the three trophies up for grabs – the Royal London Cup.
“It is an exciting time for the club and very exciting for me personally,” said Giles. “My role is a new one to me and much broader than those I have had before. I am really looking forward to it.
“In some respects it is slightly out of my comfort zone, which I don’t think is a bad thing. I am looking forward to getting my teeth into the job but I won’t be trying to change the world in a day.
To be First Team Coach is something I have aspired to achieve since I retired from playing and it’s a great feeling
Jim Troughton
“There are matters that have a certain amount of short-term importance, like the overseas T20 player, but then also stuff much more long-term and looking at that player pathway and how we can produce more home-grown cricketers which will take time. I like that balance to the job.
“I’m looking forward to working with Jim. We have worked together before and he has some very good people around him so I am confident that the management structure is strong with the right people in it.”
As former Bears players, Giles and Troughton know each other very well and have worked together productively before. Warwickshire’s most recent County Championship title, in 2012, was landed with Giles as director of cricket and Troughton captain.
“To be First Team Coach is something I have aspired to achieve since I retired from playing and it’s a great feeling,” said Troughton. “I’m very excited.
“I’ve been involved in the coaching set-up for two or three years now and am really looking forward to this challenge.
“We have got so much to work with here. I think it says something about the standards we set ourselves here that, as players and management, although we won a trophy last season, we still felt that we under-performed.
“We have spoken about that and we know what we need to address. Now the hard work begins over the next few months towards challenging in all formats in 2017.”
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