Former Gloucestershire and Australia all-rounder Ian Harvey has been appointed as the county's assistant head coach.
The 43-year-old won six one-day trophies at the club between 1999 and 2003 and also enjoyed success at international level, helping Australia to win the 2003 World Cup and earning recognition as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year the following year.
While playing for Gloucestershire, Harvey made the first hundred in Twenty20 cricket with a score of exactly 100 not out against Warwickshire in 2003.
He said of his appointment: “It’s a really exciting time. Over the next few seasons we’ve got the opportunity to start pushing for trophies and for promotion.
“We are past rebuilding now, we have a lot of senior players here who’ve played a lot of cricket and it’s up to us as coaches to get the best out of these lads. If we do then trophies and promotion aren’t out of the question.
“A lot of things at the club have changed but one thing that hasn’t is the supporters. They are one of the things that made it so enjoyable playing for this club and being successful.”
Harvey and Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson played together at Yorkshire and worked in tandem at Gloucestershire in 2013.
Watch our exclusive first video interview with new assistant coach Ian Harvey. http://t.co/JcbK23laxE#legend#welcomehome
— Gloucestershire CCC (@Gloscricket) March 5, 2015
Dawson said: “It’s very exciting for the club to have Ian Harvey as assistant coach. We interviewed some very strong candidates and Ian stood out.
“He already knows about the club having been a major part of its most successful period in the late nineties and early 2000s when they dominated the one-day competitions. His passion for the club is clear to see and he wants to recreate the successful environment he experienced here as a player.
“From a coaching point of view he was an exceptional bowler, batter and fielder so he covers all technical bases.”