Rushworth: “I’m so excited to be a Bear”

Chris Rushworth has revealed that the "phenomenal" Edgbaston factor was part of the pull for him to move to Warwickshire. 

Experienced seamer Rushworth admits it will be strange to be playing for a county other than his native Durham for whom he took 815 wickets in all formats. But he can’t wait to get cracking with the Bears, with life in the West Midlands and with Edgbaston as his office for at least the next two years. 

“Now all the dust has settled and I am officially a Warwickshire player, I’m so excited to be a Bear,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to getting stuck in.  

“When you walk into Edgbaston and that amazing stadium, it’s a phenomenal place and to call that home for the next few years will be fantastic. I’ve had some success there on the field so hopefully that continues for the next few years. 

“It will be strange, no doubt, and very different in terms of the size of the city and all the stuff that comes with it, but it’s really exciting. It’s something new and completely different to what I’m used to and I really can’t wait to get going.” 

Rushworth arrives at Edgbaston with nothing at all to prove in terms of his ability to take wickets. He has been a linchpin of the Durham attack for more than a decade and helped bowl them to the County Championship title in 2013. 

At 36, however, he is well aware that some Warwickshire fans will wonder how many wickets he has still in front of him. Therein lies a new challenge for a guy who has pretty much seen it all and done it all in the county game.  

“I’ve got something to prove, absolutely,” he said. “I want to prove to people, especially Warwickshire fans, that I’ve still got what it takes and can do it somewhere other than Durham.  

“I guess people might look at Chris Rushworth, 36-year-old, and ask does he still have it? I just want to show that I’ve still got a few good years left in me and hopefully some silverware ahead of me too. 

“My body still feels strong, I still want to take wickets and win games of cricket and ultimately, I want to win trophies and that’s one of the reasons I joined the Bears. Hopefully I can help bring some success to Edgbaston. 

“When I first spoke to Mark Robinson about a potential move, we spoke about the bowling line-up here and it’s a good core of seamers with some talented youngsters. The thought of slotting in and helping these guys progress with their game is something that really attracted me to the Bears. I’m just looking forward to getting to work with the guys.”