Bears quartet selected as England stars of the future
Oct 14 2009 by Andy Walker, Birmingham Post
Four Warwickshire players have been named in the various categories for this winter’s England Performance Programme.
The recognised Bears quartet is made up of highly-rated seamer Chris Woakes, all-rounder Keith Barker, wicketkeeper Richard Johnson and fast bowler Boyd Rankin.
Their selection means that they are viewed as potential international cricketers, albeit at differing stages, and all four will now receive specialist support programmes.
Woakes has been selected in category ‘B’ of the EPP, a section for cricketers with first-class experience who are perceived to be between one and three years away from the England team.
Barker and Johnson have both been named in the ‘C’ category, which is for younger players with less first-class county experience, many of whom have been part of the ECB elite player development programme.
Rankin, already an Ireland international, is one of five to be selected in a fast bowling programme, which will spend time at a conditioning camp in Florida and at the MRF Fast Bowling Camp in Chennai under the guidance of former Australian paceman Dennis Lillee.
Worcestershire’s Richard Jones has also received a shock call-up after the 22-year-old seamer was handed a place in the ‘C’ category, who will now all head off to the CSA High Performance Centre in Pretoria South Africa later this autumn for a training camp.
As well as the B and C squads’ trip to South Africa, both will undertake separate training camps at the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough.
Meanwhile, The Pears have also announced homegrown star Daryl Mitchell as Surrey-bound Gareth Batty’s replacement as the county’s vice-captain.
Mitchell, 25, a product of Worcestershire’s academy, scored a career best 298 in the penultimate LV County Championship match of the season against Somerset at Taunton.
Mitchell said: “To be offered the vice captaincy at this stage in my career is a great honour and one I am delighted to accept. I am genuinely excited about the future and I look forward to working with (captain) Vikram Solanki.”
