Coach Anuj’s top role with PCA
DERBYSHIRE all-rounder and Ashbourne Cricket Club coach Anuj Dal is the new vice chairman of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, replacing James Harris, who has stepped up to chair the association. England women‘s cricketer Heather Knight is a co-vice chair with Dal, who has been Derbyshire’s PCA rep for just over a year. The 24-year-old also sits on the PCA’S newly-established Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group. “It’s an incredible honour to be voted in as vice chair by your fellow PCA reps from the professional game,” said Dal. “Since I became the rep for Derbyshire, we’ve seen how important the PCA is and how vital the voices of the players are. “It’s important that we’ve got the representation we feel is necessary and that we are able to voice our opinions and views on the running of the game. “Being a young player myself, one of my biggest aims will be to get the younger guys on the circuit to feel like they’re fairly represented and have a voice.” Harris added: “Anuj was the outstanding candidate, taking into account his contributions to the PCA over the recent past. I’m sure he’ll represent the players brilliantly in his new position.” PCA chief executive Rob Lynch said: “Since meeting Anuj for the first time, I have been highly impressed by his contributions to the PCA, both as Derbyshire’s rep throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and as a key part of the newly formed EDI Working Group. “Anuj is a highly respected figure at Derbyshire and I am looking forward to seeing him bring his qualities as well as an additional perspective to the PCA board.” Dal, from Newcastle-under-lyme in Staffordshire, made his Derbyshire debut in July, 2018, in a T20 match against Worcestershire and his first-class debut a month later against Sussex. He has now played 19 first-class matches, scoring 510 runs at an average of 20.40 with three fifties and a top score of 92 against Middlesex in 2019. He has played five List A matches and 21 T20s for the county. He is also the founder of a coaching company, Purpose Cricket Coaching, and has been coaching Ashbourne during winter months, although Covid-19 stopped that from being possible this winter.