Warwickshire first-team coach Jim Troughton spent 19 days in Australia, immersed in the Big Bash with Melbourne Renegades.
Warwickshire first-team coach Jim Troughton will return to Birmingham next week following a “really worthwhile” three-week link-up with Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash.
The Renegades’ hopes of glory in the tournament were dashed by a poor start after they lost both their first-choice overseas players to injury in the two weeks before the campaign.
I have certainly found some food for thought from the trip.
Jim Troughton
But Troughton has immersed himself in the Big Bash and the way teams approach it and believes the trip has been a valuable learning exercise.
“It has been really worthwhile,” he said. “Michael Klinger and his staff and all the Renegades players have been very welcoming and it has been great to see from the inside how the tournament is set up.
“It’s not a question of comparing what they do and what we do. It has just been interesting to see the spectacle of Big Bash cricket and how teams approach it. Our analyst Stuart Key also came out for a while to meet his counterparts out here.
“I have certainly found some food for thought from the trip and there are one or two things to think about for when we are preparing for the Blast next season.”
During his stay, as planned, the coach met up with Bears 2020 Blast skipper Chris Green but their conversation was rather different to what was expected when Troughton departed England.
During his flight down under the news broke that Green had been suspended from bowling for three months after questions were raised about his action.
He is now working to correct the problem and, all being well, will still be available to skipper the Bears in the 2020 Blast.
“Just as I was stepping off the plane, my phone started buzzing with the news,” said Troughton. “It is a tough call for Chris but he is a really good guy and strong character. He has got our full backing and I am confident he will get things ironed out in time to play for us this summer.
“It was great to catch up with Greeny when the Renegades played Sydney Thunder. In fact I was round a table with him, Brendon McCullum and Shane Bond so it was a right old Bears reunion!”
