Matthew Maynard officially started his new role today and one of his initial duties was to meet reporters at a press conference to mark his arrival.
As he explained to those gathered at the event, he is looking forward to taking the reins at Taunton: “We have some wonderful players here who are ambitious and the Club is very forward thinking. It’s a very ambitious club. There is a great mix of senior players, good young promising players coming through and players in their mid 20’s. The talent is obviously there and it’s my job to get them playing to their potential.”
He will be spending the next few days getting a feel for the SCCC: “I’ll be chatting with all the players over the next few weeks so I can listen to their opinions on how the Club can progress. I’ve been meeting all the staff today and getting to know the Club which is very important. We want to bring the Championship here. I have very fond memories of 1997 (the year he captained Glamorgan to the title) and it would be very nice to do it again with a Somerset hat on!”
Chief Executive Guy Lavender said: “The appointment of a Director of Cricket is an absolutely crucial one and we are delighted that Matt has joined us. He’s been involved in the game for many years and has a tremendous track record as a player, a captain and as a coach. We have spent the morning going through our plans and the winter provides a good time to build and prepare for the 2015 season. I am confident that he will bring a lot to Somerset and we are looking forward to starting this journey together. We think he’s an outstanding leader & communicator and he is a man of great integrity & knowledge. We are very excited that he is here.”
The 48 year old spent the whole of his 20 year playing career with Glamorgan where he made 395 First Class appearances scoring nearly 25,000 runs at an average of 42.53. He also led the Welsh side to the County Championship title in 1997. He played in 4 Test Matches between 1988 and 1994 and 14 One Day Internationals between 1994 and 2000.
In 2004 he was appointed as England assistant coach, a post he held until 2007. He has also enjoyed considerable success coaching in South Africa and in 2012, his first year in charge of Nashua Titans, he led them to both the domestic four day and T20 titles and was named Coach of the Year by Cricket South Africa.