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County newcomers travel to Edgbaston to learn about life as a professional cricketer.
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The Professional Cricketers’ Association held a record breaking Rookie Camp with 37 young cricketers inducted into the professional game.
The ninth PCA Rookie Camp saw more players present than ever before at the annual event which took place at Edgbaston on Thursday. Hosted by the PCA and supported by the Tom Maynard Trust, the day brought together rookies who have recently signed their first professional cricket contract.
Four members of the England Young Lions squad who recently visited Bangladesh travelled to Birmingham, including captains for the tour, Somerset’s Tom Lammonby and Surrey’s Jamie Smith while Scotland’s Tom Sole and Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani were arguably the most senior players in attendance having already played multiple games of international cricket.
Representatives from 15 counties attended the event, which forms part of the PCA’s Personal Development and Welfare Programme. The initiative saw eight different workshops delivered, detailing the support and guidance the PCA offers cricketers throughout and after their professional career.
PCA VIDEO
2019 Rookie Camp
Record numbers attended the ninth Rookie Camp and the PCA followed England Young Lions man Jamie Smith around for the experience. Watch how he got on at Edgbaston...
The PCA captured the day through Surrey’s 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Smith and he was full of praise for the educational day.
“It has been really informative and a real eye-opener for me. Especially the players who have come in like Olly Stone, Jack Brooks, Graham Wagg and Patrick Foster.
“You don’t want to have this information and use it once; I know the PCA are coming round to the counties in the next few weeks so I want to make sure I get as much out of Tom Jones the Personal Development Manager for Surrey now I know how much the PCA can offer the players.
“Everyone will have taken something individual out of Rookie Camp that they can take into the season. I’m now really looking forward to the summer, it’s exciting times at Surrey and we have a great squad.”
"It provides an eye-opening experience to the resilience required to deal with the journey each player will go on throughout their career."
IAN THOMAS
PCA Director of Personal Development and Welfare Ian Thomas said:
“PCA Rookie Camp is a vital day in the calendar for the Association. It provides an eye-opening experience to the resilience required to deal with the journey each player will go on throughout their career, regardless of if it ends after one-year or they play for two decades.
“Our ninth Rookie Camp has been a record with 37 players in attendance which goes to show the regard in which this induction into the professional game is held amongst players and their clubs.
“For many, Rookie Camp was an introduction to the PCA and every player left Edgbaston understanding the value of being a life-long member of the Association which is crucial to us.
“We wish all of the players all of the best for their career and we look forward to supporting them on every step of their journey.”
Players in attendance: Anuj Dal, Mattie McKiernan, Sam Conners (all Derbyshire), Liam Trevaskis, Jack Campbell, Ben Whitehead, Scott Steel (all Durham), Jack Plomb, Rishi Patel, Michael Pepper, Feroze Khushi (all Essex), Tom Cullen, Callum Taylor (both Glamorgan), Greg Willows, Adrian Neill (both Gloucestershire), Jordan Cox (Kent), George Balderson, George Lavelle (both Lancashire), Harry Swindells, Ben Mike (both Leicestershire), Ethan Bamber, Jack Davies (both Middlesex), Blessing Muzarabani, Tom Sole, Ricardo Vasconcelos (all Northamptonshire), Nathan Gilchrist, Tom Lammonby (both Somerset), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Alex Thomson, Rob Yates (both Warwickshire), Alex Milton, Dillon Pennington, Adam Finch, Josh Dell (all Worcestershire), Eddie Barnes, Jack Shutt, James Logan (all Yorkshire).
To find out more about the Personal Development and Welfare programme, click here.
