da betano casino： Glamorgan County Cricket Club today confirmed that Steve Watkin has beenappointed as the first Academy Director for the new Welsh Cricket Academy,which will be based at the Club’s headquarters ground at Sophia Gardens,Cardiff
Glamorgan CCC10-Sep-2001Glamorgan County Cricket Club today confirmed that Steve Watkin has beenappointed as the first Academy Director for the new Welsh Cricket Academy,which will be based at the Club’s headquarters ground at Sophia Gardens,Cardiff. Watkin, 37 on Saturday, will formally retire from playing in orderto take up the new appointment, though the Club will be retaining hisregistration.Chief Executive Mike Fatkin said:”We have somewhat mixed feelings about Steve’s appointment. On the one handhe has been such a fantastically loyal servant to Glamorgan since he madehis debut fifteen years ago, not to mention one of the most consistentbowlers on the circuit throughout his career, but on the other we believe heis admirably suited to this new position. He is the ideal role model foryoung cricketers in Wales.We have been working hard for some time to establish the concept of anAcademy here in Wales and we’re delighted that Steve has accepted theposition. His appointment comes after a year spent putting everything inplace and we’ve been very encouraged by the support we’ve received from boththe Sports Council for Wales – who are investing a significant amount ofmoney into the programme costs, and the England and Wales Cricket Board, whoare licensing the academy as one of the first wave of eight that arestarting up this autumn. The network of county academies will support thenew National Academy set up this year.The intention is to recruit six youngsters in the first year, rising to amaximum of nine subsequently, and provide them with as rounded a programmeof training, coaching and advice that we can to help mould them intoprofessional cricketers of the future. The Cricket Board of Wales has donesterling work in recent years in establishing a structure for junior cricketbut the gap between when they leave the CBW umbrella aged 16 or 17 tojoining Glamorgan as professionals has needed to be filled for some time.We are confident the Academy structure will enable the young talent comingthrough to be fast-tracked through the system and that they can be taughtwhat being a professional or international cricketer is all about beforethey actually reach the ranks of the professional staff at Glamorgan.There are some differences between the Welsh Academy and the others inEngland but we’re delighted to have the Sports Council for Wales on board,with all the expertise and support that they bring, and the appointment ofSteve Watkin as the first Welsh Cricket Academy Director is a significantboost.”Steve Watkin said:”It’ll be a huge wrench giving up playing professional cricket as I havebeen involved with Glamorgan – not to mention with England and England ‘A’ -for some sixteen seasons but this was too good an opportunity to miss. TheClub has said it intends to retain my registration as a player just in caseI might be required to play but having thought about it long and hard Iaccept that it’s an important job, with substantial money being invested inthe scheme by the Sports Council for Wales, and I am really looking forwardto the challenge of helping develop the next generation of professionalcricketers. There’s a lot of talent at junior level in Wales and I’m surethat the new Academy will only add to the development of the best youngplayers.I’d like to thank the Club for giving me this opportunity, but equallyimportantly I’d like to thank all of my team-mates and the players I’veplayed with at Glamorgan throughout my career for giving me so muchenjoyment. There are some obvious highlights, such as winning the SundayLeague in 1993 and the Championship in 1997, not to mention a Lord’s Finaland a promotion last summer and playing and touring for England, but I feelvery lucky to have enjoyed considerable success as a cricketer and I’m nowlooking forward to giving something back to a game that has been nothing butgood to me. Hopefully I can bow out with a few wickets against Surrey!”