Northamptonshire head coach David Ripley is hoping several changes in personnel this winter will help the club bounce back from a disappointing 2014.
Kevin Howells (BBC radio)
Nothing much went right for them last term. So if not quite starting again, they are certainly finding their feet. But no reason why they can't go well in one-day cricket.
David Fulton (Sky Sports News)
I do think they are the classic example of a county who could look at the benefits to be gained from one-day success, such as their T20 win a couple of years ago, and prioritise that. David Willey means they’re always worth watching.
Northamptonshire’s players hope to reap the benefits of their own investment this spring – with Shahid Afridi on the way later in the season to provide a further big-hitting boost to their bid to revive memories of the golden year of 2013.
The squad contributed to the cost of their own pre-season trip to the Caribbean, and head coach David Ripley hopes it will help them hit the ground running.
“We’ve had chalk and cheese the last two seasons,” reflected Ripley, contrasting the flying start which fired the county towards promotion in 2013 with the nightmare build-up to last summer’s ill-fated LV= County Championship Division One campaign.
“So it’s important we get out of the blocks pretty well this year, which is why we think it was a big advantage being able to get away on tour. At the end of last season it didn’t look like we’d be able to afford it, but we got some sponsorship, and the players and staff all agreed to make a contribution of £200 each.
“We also did some coaching during the February half-term when the players gave up their time to raise some more money. Obviously Barbados was a nice place for us all to go, but the main reason was cricketing.”
It was a trip to the Caribbean last spring that undermined many of Ripley’s plans for 2014, as Alex Wakely, who had been appointed captain for both limited-overs competitions,ruptured his Achilles and was ruled out for the season.
So Wakely’s return, having come through this year’s tour unscathed, could be seen as an extra new signing for the club – and he will now be captain in all forms of the game.
Other significant additions to the squad are Adam Rossington, the 21-year-old wicketkeeper batsman who made a positive impression on an extended loan at Wantage Road last summer, and Josh Cobb, who has made the short move from Leicestershire.
Throw in Richard Levi, the explosive South African opener, and his compatriot Rory Kleinveldt, a vastly-experienced seamer who impressed against England Lions in the winter, and the Northants line-up for the NatWest T20 Blast could be pretty formidable – with Afridi as the icing on the cake.
No rest for our physio @Dutchy009. He's put @AlexWakely1 back together and his keeping him in tip top shape now pic.twitter.com/Vz1PxXNR1k
— Northants Cricket (@NorthantsCCC) March 20, 2015
“We’d love to get back into Division One in the championship and have another crack at the big boys, but with a squad of 17 we’ve got to be realistic and say that could be a tough ask this year,” added Ripley.
“But I think it’s equally realistic to look at guys like Rossington, Cobb, Levi and Afridi, plus Wakely back from injury and other guys like David Willey and Steven Crook, and think we’ve got a pretty handy one-day line-up.”
Ripley admits he was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the deal for Afridi fell into place – helped considerably by Muhammad Azhar Ullah, the Pakistan-born seamer who was another key figure in the Steelbacks’ T20 triumph of 2013.
“Azhar’s still well-connected in Pakistan, he spoke to Afridi, and the move seemed to suit him,” added the head coach. “I’ve spoken to guys who worked with him at Leicester previously like Phil Whitticase and Jack Birkenshaw, and we’re looking forward to getting him here, as things stand ahead of our first match (at Durham on May 15).
"In terms of the format, he suits our squad nicely, as someone who can bowl a bit of spin and smack it out of the park. He’s still pretty high up the list in world cricket in that category.”
At the other end of the experience scale, this could also be a big year for Willey, who turned 25 in February.
“David’s had a lot of frustration with his body, having suffered problems with his back and his shoulder which haven’t been easy to diagnose,” said Ripley. “He’s played in pain at times, but he’s really benefited from having the winter off, and he’s getting his body in a decent spot.
“In terms of one-day cricket especially, after England’s winter, I’d expect him to get a lot of air time. I don’t see many left-arm bowlers who are as strong in all three disciplines. If they’re going to go young to build a side, I hope they have a good look at him.”
Northamptonshire
Captain: Alex Wakely
Head coach: David Ripley
In: Josh Cobb (Leicestershire), Adam Rossington (Middlesex), Saif Zaib (academy), Richard Levi (South Africa), Rory Kleinveldt (South Africa), Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
Out: Andrew Hall (released), Matthew Spriegel (released), David Sales (retired), James Middlebrook (released), James Kettleborough (Glamorgan)