Jeremy Snape's 2007 Preview
Leicestershire skipper Jeremy Snape has recently returned from the West Indies after being appointed as one of England's assistant coaches to the World Cup squad. Here he talks exclusively to the Leicestershire Foxes Supporters Site about the forthcoming season with County.
You've had a busy winter with your work with the World Cup teams butnow it's back to your bread and butter, domestic cricket. What are the plans for Leicestershire in 2007 and how is the squad looking?
We have some very talented youngsters and it’s great to see them coming through. After a successful pre-season tour the lads are fit and raring to go on the new season which promises to offer great opportunity for the youngsters.
We have signed two young overseas players, what strengths can Amjad and Singh bring to the side?
Amjad is one of the most exciting young spinning talents in the sub-continent and fitted in very well in his brief time at
You spent quite a bit of time out of the Championship side last season, will this be a similar scenario for 2007?
I am available for all cricket this year although it has been explained that youngsters will probably get a chance before me in the championship.
With the loss of Darren Maddy, how do you think we will fair in the Twenty20?
We have had a different team every year for the 2020 so I don’t see it as a huge thing, Darren is a good player but it provides a wonderful opportunity for one of our youngsters to enjoy the challenge now.
When I interviewed you last season, you singled out Matt Boyce, Dan Rowe and Harry Gurney as some young players to look out for. How are these players progressing and can we expect to see more of them this season?
They are all doing really well and are working hard so it looks good for them this season.
With your experiences in the World Cup, what have you learnt that you can implement with Leicestershire?
There is so much to take from it, how the top players handle pressure, team communication and I really hope that I can bring some of those key messages back and work with our youngsters in the next two or three years before I retire.
After a slow start in the Championship last year, things really picked up and we finished strongly. If we hit the ground running, what do you think of our promotion chances and which players will be the key to success?
Having Stuart and Nico away will be tough but if everyone else can be ready for the first game we may catch a few sides by surprise.
Obviously it is an honour for Leicestershire now that two of our players are in the England World Cup squad. How do you think we will cope early season without Nixon and Broad?
It is going to be tough without them but we have to remember that one of the main reasons we play is to develop international cricketers. They both deserve their chances and I wish them well. It will provide a chance to the likes of Tom New, Walks and Ryan Cummins.
Jeremy also runs his own successful sports psychology company and you can find out more about this by clicking on the following link www.sportingedgesolutions.co.uk
