Griffith trims Tigers’ list
THE rebuild of the Tigers has started under new coach Adam Griffith, with three players cut and several doing extra training after failing to reach offseason targets.
Batsman Dom Michael has moved back to Queensland for family reasons but was no guarantee to be offered a new contract anyway, while young fast bowlers Ryan Lees and Cam Wheatley have been cut.
And there could be further axings.
Another bowler, Hamish Kingston, is also no certainty to be recontracted, but the ongoing pay dispute is creating uncertainty around list management.
Players who did not reach their off-season targets have had two weeks of 7am starts at Blundstone Arena in the dark and occasionally the rain.
“[There were] probably two or three who missed, that was a bit disappointing, and then ... another four or five who only just and their targets were quite difficult as well,” Griffith said of the extra sessions. “We set quite high standards for them.
“Most of the group I was really happy with, there were a couple there who were disappointing but they’ve got that message loud and clear.”
Griffith said discussions were under way with potential interstate recruits, but no player can be signed until the memorandum of understanding was signed between the Australian Cricketers Association and Cricket Australia.
“We want to be in a position that as soon as the MOU gets signed we are good to go and press the button on all on our list and not have to be mucking around with negotiations and doing it from that moment on,” he said.
He said an academy would be set up for players impressing at underage level, club cricket and those who had lost their contacts to train and improve at Blundstone Arena.
“Just because they haven’t got contracts doesn’t mean they won’t be available for selection moving forward,” Griffith said. “Wickets and runs are the currency for me and if they are showing that they have got wickets on the board, for Wheatley and Lees in particular, then they will come under the umbrella of selection if possible.”
Griffith said even if the MOU was not agreed to come June 30, pre-season training would continue.
“Once that rolls around they are unemployed,” he said.
“But from our point of view that would be no different to asking a club cricketer to come in and train with us from that perspective.
“We won’t be locking the doors and kicking them out, we will look to continue their developments as cricketers and wait for what the ACA wants to do in that instance, but we are really positive and confident that hopefully it will get signed before it gets to that stage.”