Will Rhodes is "absolutely thrilled" to have taken over the captaincy at Warwickshire.
Rhodes will lead the Bears in the County Championship and Royal London 50-over Cup next season after succeeding Jeetan Patel as club skipper.
The 24-year-old, who has played just 50 first-class and 63 one-day and T20 matches, becomes one of the youngest players ever to lead the Bears but is unfazed by the challenge – and very excited by it.
It is a big job and I know I am following in a lot of huge footsteps over the years. I have captained teams at various levels over the years but, of course, doing the job at one of the biggest clubs in the country will be different.
Will Rhodes
“I am absolutely thrilled to have been appointed captain,” Rhodes said. “It is an honour to captain any team but extra special when it is a big club like Warwickshire.
“It is a big job and I know I am following in a lot of huge footsteps over the years. I have captained teams at various levels over the years but, of course, doing the job at one of the biggest clubs in the country will be different. But it’s not like I’m being thrown in at the deep end without any support. I have got some great people around me and will have some top-class and very experienced players out on the field with me which will be hugely important.
“I think all of us at Warwickshire are really excited about the future. We had a really tough season in 2019 when we were hammered by injuries but we came through it and really showed our mettle with some of the younger guys developing a long way. Hopefully next season we will have the likes of Ian Bell, Olly Stone, Liam Norwell and Ryan Sidebottom back and playing regularly which we give us a very strong squad and we can look to challenge at the right end of the table.”
His appointment having arrived quite early in the winter, Rhodes has plenty of time to plan for the 2020 season which will begin with a championship game against Somerset at Taunton on April 12.
“We have quite a bit of time, perhaps a little bit too much in a way because part of me just wants the season to start in a few weeks,” he said. “But that gives me the chance to sit down with all the coaches and talk about what we want to do. I’m not unfamiliar with how they think as I was in quite a few meetings this year and had a few chats.
“Captaincy is a big job, on and off the field, but I feel like I am ready for it. I am just really honoured and thankful that Paul Farbrace saw enough in me to think I am the right man for the role.
“There is no way when I joined the Bears that I could see this happening. I just wanted to get my career back on track and my game into good order. I feel that has happened and am very happy with that – now this has taken things on to a new level and I am just really excited to be captain of a big club like Warwickshire.”
