Sibley: I couldn’t miss this chance

CHANGE is afoot at Warwickshire, but latest recruit Dom Sibley insists he is ready to lead their charge to safety.

Champions in 2012, the Bears find themselves in a perilous state in the County Championship, and sport director Ashley Giles has turned to youth to complement his mostly outof-form veterans in a bid to revitalise Warwickshire’s season.

Batsman Adam Hose, 24, had already arrived from Somerset and Yorkshire allrounder Will Rhodes, 22, will join in the summer.

The prospect of playing Division Two cricket next season did not faze top-order batsman Sibley, 21, with the former Surrey man firmly focused on Championship survival.

“I had seen Adam Hose go in and do well immediately so I knew I could do the same, but as well as that I can learn so much off the likes of Chris Woakes, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott – guys in Ashes teams that I grew up watching,” said Sibley.

“It’s similar to Surrey in that respect; you’re spoilt at both places with the calibre of players that are there.

“I’m aware of what the situation was with the table, but it’s an opportunity for me to play straight away, so hopefully I can contribute to us moving to safety.”

Sibley left boyhood club Surrey to move to Edgbaston earlier this month on loan until the end of the season when the deal becomes permanent – with veteran allrounder Rikki Clarke going in the other direction.

Surrey were upset to lose him, having cultivated him at the Oval and also offering him a contract, suggesting he had been given guarantees at Edgbaston he could play in all formats.

But now his situation is resolved, Sibley insists there were no hard feelings.

He said: “Moving away from Surrey wasn’t a decision that I took lightly; I’ve been there since I was eight and have a lot of love for a lot of people there. There were no assurances but I felt like my cricket needed a change and an opportunity like this doesn’t come around too often.

“In a funny sort of way, I can take it as a big compliment that they were so disappointed to lose me. I still have a lot of great friends in the dressing room there and there’s no bad blood at all.”