GILO EYES TROUTS’ IMPACT AT BEARS

WARWICKSHIRE Sport Director, Ashley Giles, is hailing the influence of Jim Troughton as the Edbgaston outfit look to claim their first County Championship since 2012.

Giles returned to the county where he served as a player last December, and he will oversee all cricket from the senior side down to the academy, while Troughton has taken the reins of first-team coach.

The pair were captain and coach the last time Warwickshire claimed the title five years ago, and Giles is confident the partnership will add a spark to the county’s surge for a eighth championship.

“We know each other very well and we trust each other,” says Giles.“I have been hugely impressed by Trouts because I have not been at Edgbaston for four or five years. He is a very good coach, very thorough with a huge amount of respect in the dressing room.

“Trouts will remove some of the interference from Belly as captain, which I think he had too much of last year. Ian needs to concentrate on making 1,000 runs to start off with. Trouts will run the team and I will look after the other stuff, including recruitment and contracts.”

On his role as Sport Director, Giles added:“It’s more strategic. It will be a mix; when the women start I will be watching them, watching the academy, watching the second team and looking at the whole picture.

“I just need to be careful that I am not spreading myself too thin.”