Westwood staying with Bears as development coach
WHEN he retired in June, Ian Westwood was convinced that his 25-year association with Warwickshire was over.
But fewer than five months later, and the former Bears skipper is back in the fold at Edgbaston after this week being unveiled as a development coach.
And the 35-year-old – who toyed with the idea of becoming an umpire – admits the role is not all that different from the one he was still performing at the back end of his playing career.
“I was preparing for life after cricket and certainly didn’t expect to get offered anything at Warwickshire,” he said.
“So this role is exciting for me, it’s the area of coaching that I enjoy – working with younger players and developing them.
“It’s interesting, one of the reasons I have been given this opportunity is because I have already been doing it informally
over the last couple of years. I have enjoyed working with the youngsters at the club, passing on my experiences and knowledge.
“Having not played white-ball cricket for the last few years I have spent a fair bit of time in the Second XI, acting as a bit of a mentor.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity but there is a lot of hard work to do and I know that I need to do well.
“It is a results business, and the coaching world is very volatile – by no means is this a job for life.
“It is about getting stuck in and starting to turn our fortunes around.
The Bears were relegated back to Division Two this past summer but fared better in the white-ball, making it to finals day in the T20 Blast on home soil, finishing runners-up to Nottinghamshire despite a 44ball 72 from Sam Hain.
But the battle for the Bears has long been about reducing the age profile of the squad and bringing through new blood.
And Westwood will be absolutely pivotal to that after a summer of change both on and off the field.
“For the last 20 years, it has been glaring that we have not been bringing through enough of our own,” he added.
“I’m not sure why that is to be honest because there is enough talent there.
“We obviously have had a successful period which means that opportunity has not been easy to come by.
“But saying that, if you are good enough then those chances happen.
“We just need to make sure we are producing the right sort of cricketers and characters and that we are creating opportunities for them going forward.
“Our squad has been very successful but we all grew old together and that was going to come to a head at some stage.
“Last season there was a lot of change, people going out and new people coming in.
“And guys from our own ranks, particularly in the T20, have put their hands up so we are looking for more of that to continue this season and next.”