FORMER Pears and Gloucestershire batsman Alex Gidman has been unveiled as Worcestershire’s new first team coach in a dramatic coaching revamp at New Road.
As part of the restructure, current head coach Kevin Sharp will become Head of Player and Coaches Development and a mentor to the coaching staff as well as young cricketing talent at the county.
Gidman linked up with the county in March as Second Eleven coach but also played a key role in tandem with bowling coach/assistant coach Alan Richardson in Worcestershire Rapids’ white-ball cricket success.
Now the 37-year-old, who played one season for Worcestershire in 2015 before being forced to retire through injury, has been handed his new role after making a big impression – with Richardson working alongside him in his current post.
Gidman was a member of the successful Gloucestershire side in one-day cricket in the 2000s and captained them for four years.
“The decision was made in Abu Dhabi that I would do the white-ball cricket with Alan so to get that exposure and join the first team for pretty much half the season was great,” Gidman said.
“It meant I could start building in some of my fundamental beliefs about the game that I think are important and it obviously worked pretty well. There are no guarantees in this sport that it will happen again but we will be trying our utmost.”
Gidman paid tribute to the work of Kevin Sharp at the helm during the last 11 months.
“Kevin has done a really good job in lots of ways – a very tough job following Steve Rhodes’ departure after many years at the club. Kevin has steadied the ship really well.
“He has been honest and feels it is the right time for me to take charge of the first team alongside Alan.”
Sharp will now have a key part to play on the development side of the club at all levels from academy to first team as well as being a mentor for Gidman, Richardson and the other coaches at the club.
Academy coach Elliot Wilson and coaches Ryan D’Oliveira and Andy Sutton will have a greater opportunity to work with the Second Eleven following Gidman’s promotion.
“They (Gidman and Richardson) are both lads who have recently played the game, are tactically very smart, think outside the box and are a great combination in the way they manage the players.
“It became apparent to me they should have the responsibility of running first team cricket,” Sharp said.
“My role will be slightly different now. I will be very much a support and a mentor for Alex and Alan and the rest of the coaching team.
“I will still be very much involved on the coaching side, supporting the first eleven, second eleven, academy and the development groups.
“I will be able to see a bit more academy and do something I’m very passionate about and that’s work with players in what I call ‘cradle to the grave’ – the lad at 12 who comes in through the academy door and finishes up playing Test cricket.”