Wednesday 2 April 2014 14:44, UK
Glamorgan captain Mark Wallace is targeting all-round improvement as they embark on their 2014 County Championship campaign under new leadership.
During the close season, former England elite specialist batting coach Toby Radford took the head coaching reins from Matthew Mott.
Glamorgan also welcomed Hugh Morris back to his native region as chief executive and director of cricket, following several roles with the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Wallace praised the acquisitions of Radford and Morris, but reiterated the need for players to raise their performance levels.
“We’ve got a few changes and those changes mean we’re in the best place we’ve been for a while,” the wicketkeeper-batsman told Sky Sports News.
“Hugh Morris as chief executive and director of cricket and Toby Radford.
“I think in sport there’s always change, always a turnover of coaches and personnel and of players as well but it’s about us performing this season with those guys on board.
“You see it in football and rugby all the time. You get a new manager in charge and all the players have to prove themselves to a new man and that’s been in effect since November when Toby took over.
“Toby has his own ideas which are fresh, so we’re going into the new season with a fresh approach.”
The Welsh side endured a turbulent campaign in 2013, reaching the Yorkshire Bank 40 final at Lord’s, while just three wins in the four-day format proved a dismal return for Wallace’s side.
An 87-run defeat to Nottinghamshire in the cup final and a poor County Championship return, coupled with a Twenty20 capitulation left Wallace disappointed, but the 32-year-old insists Glamorgan are determined to make strides forward.
“It was a real up and down season,” he admitted.
We’ve got some guys in the squad who have won domestic competitions all over the world, with Murray [Goodwin] and also [Jacques] Rudolph coming in, these are guys that are used to winning tournaments. That’s a massive thing in T20 cricket, knowing how to win and how to go deep into competitions.
“We were delighted to get the Lord’s final, disappointed to have lost but our performances in the Championship were disappointing.
“Our priority is to improve in that format and continue our good work in the shorter formats of the game.”
While Wallace will lead the side in the County Championship and one-day forms, Jim Allenby has been entrusted with presiding over the club’s Twenty20 campaign.
Glamorgan lost five of their six group stage matches last term but Allenby believes the arrivals of Jacques Rudolph and Murray Goodwin significantly bolster their chances.
“I think we have the experience in both age and games played,” he claimed.
“But we’ve also got some young guys who people haven’t seen before. We are set up well for the tournament given that last season was a good one.
“We’ve got some guys in the squad who have won domestic competitions all over the world, with Murray and also Rudolph coming in, these are guys that are used to winning tournaments.
“That’s a massive thing in T20 cricket, knowing how to win and how to go deep into competitions.”
Although born in Australia, all-rounder Allenby harbours ambitions of forcing his way into the England fold after gaining eligibility to represent the Three Lions.
Allenby admits it was not easy to watch England suffer an Ashes whitewash Down Under but claims the manner of the defeat leaves the door wide open for players to prove themselves as the new county sees gets underway.
“It’s never nice to see,” the 31-year-old said.
“Obviously I was born in Australia, but my ambitions are with England. It’s not nice to see the boys struggling a bit in Australia and to be honest to see the media the way it was in Australia was disappointing as well.
“To see England struggle was a bit disappointing, but it just shows now how clean the slate is for everyone, they have a blank canvas to work from.”
