Cockbain hoping to get chance to shine this season
» GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S Ian Cockbain has come into his own in white-ball cricket over the last few years.
The 33-year-old Liverpudlian holds the record for T20 appearances for the club, was the third highest scorer in the T20 Blast in 2016 and topped the county’s averages in the Vitality Blast with 34.62 in 2019.
So with a record like that, Cockbain was disappointed to not be chosen in the draft for the planned launch of the now-postponed Hundred competition this summer although he did participate in the warm-up games for the event.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the debut season for the Hundred has been put on hold until 2021 but despite the cricket fans having a mixed opinion about the format, Cockbain is a fan.
“I really like the idea of the Hundred,” he said. “I played in the trial games and I really enjoyed the game. It has a lot more of a tactical side to it and I think whoever adapts and learns the quickest will be the best side for the first few years.”
The competition was due to start mid-july but due to Covid-19, and Cockbain approves of the idea of cancelling the competition for this year.
“I think it is a good decision on it being cancelled as no overseas players or coaches would be able to participate in it therefore not making it the spectacle they had hoped for,” he said.
“They need to make sure it is of the highest quality it can be to draw in the crowds and promote it globally.”
The other competitions that were set to take place this summer are now also under question, with fans and players unaware of how this season will pan out - but they are hopeful of some action.
With no games taking place in the cricketing world since March 16, this has been the longest gap between matches in 37 years.
The ECB have set August 1 as a hopeful date for the season to start, which means the pre-season has been prolonged massively and this could have a huge effect on the season when it finally does resume.
Many cricketers would have ended their season in September 2019 and began planning for the start of the season in April.
But Cockbain spent his winter in Australia which allowed him to be actively involved in cricket until the beginning of March.
With this acting as a huge benefit, things have now taken a turn with it being more difficult for him to get in the required training that he needs.
He said: “We have been sent fitness schedules to continue with as a squad to do whilst at home but as you can imagine it is very hard to get any sort of cricket skills done.”
By the time the season is ready to go ahead, the team would not have had a competitive game together for almost 10 months, this means each county will have to work quickly to work together as a team.
Cockbain will be returning to Gloucestershire for his 11th season and said: “We will have some prep time once the season is given the green light as well to get our skills up before the first competitive match.”
Cockbain’s next career aim is to become the highest T20 run scorer for the club.
He is on 2,665 runs with Australian star Michael Klinger holding the record on 2,949 runs and feels if he has another few seasons at the club then this will be doable for him.
This will especially be achievable for him if he accomplishes another goal that he has in mind to achieve by the end of his professional career - to play in T20 finals day and lift the trophy.
Gloucestershire have been beaten in four quarter finals, and Cockbain hopes he can help the side to victory before his time ends at the club.