Smith and Maiden quit County for Yorkshire

TOM Smith and Alastair Maiden are to leave the Leicestershire coaching staff to join Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

First XI assistant and bowling coach Smith joins Yorkshire CCC with immediate effect, while Head of Academy Maiden will join on March 1 after the Running Foxes reluctantly agreed a compensation package for the duo.

Smith has been a key part of the coaching staff at the Uptonsteel County Ground since being appointed to the role of Second XI coach in 2018.

Following a successful period on the staff at Grace Road, Smith was offered the role of First XI assistant and bowling coach ahead of the 2020 campaign.

He will join Yorkshire as Second XI Coach, a role that Smith has experience in from his time in the Midlands.

Smith has further developed the skillsets of the youthful bowling attack and overseen the growth of the bowling unit across all three formats.

He said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to have been given the opportunity to be able to coach at Leicestershire.

“I have had four-and-a-half great years at the club where I have had the chance to work under some great coaches and learn a lot, which has obviously helped in my development as a coach.

“It has also been amazing to see some young players come through the ranks of the Second XI into the First XI and watch them develop both as players and as people.”

Maiden joined Leicestershire as Head of Academy at the beginning of 2020 following four years as batting coach and assistant coach with the England Women’s cricket team and nine years at Durham CCC working in the academy and as second eleven coach.

During his time in the Midlands, Maiden has overseen the Academy which saw Rehan Ahmed, Alex Evans, Sam Bates and Nat Bowley graduate to the First XI.

The 39-year-old, who will take up the assistant coach and batting specialist role at Yorkshire, said: “Working at Leicestershire has been an absolute privilege. I have been thoroughly supported by everyone at the club from when I joined in 2020 to the decision to move on now.

“We have worked hard as an Academy coaching team and support staff to move things forward over the last few years and the team are in a great position to continue growing from the foundations that we have laid.”

Director of Cricket Claude Henderson said: “The work that both Tom and Ali have done whilst here at Leicestershire has been above and beyond.

“They have laid solid foundations for their successors to come in and pick up the role, alongside their respective teams, as seamlessly as possible.”