Allott: Lancashire players let club down
CRICKET CHRIS OSTICK PAUL Allott says Lancashire players have let themselves and the club down by being relegated last season.
The Red Rose will play in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship next year after winning just two matches in the top flight in 2018, despite starting the campaign as one of the favourites for the title.
They reached the semi-final of the Vitality Blast, but failed once again to make it out of the group stage of the One-day Cup to round off a disappointing campaign at Emirates Old Trafford.
And Allott, who is in his first year as director of cricket at Lancashire, admits what happened last season is just not good enough.
“We should be one of the premier white-ball playing clubs in the country, if not the world, and we should be in the top division of the County Championship,” he said.
“It’s how we do it and get there that is the challenge.
“I have been disappointed this year by the performance of the first team, so have the lads.
“Don’t let anyone be under the illusion that these lads aren’t hurting, they are desperately disappointed they have not maintained First Division status.
“That is a primary objective of Lancashire. They have let themselves down and they have let the club down by not maintaining their Division One status, they know that and are desperately disappointed.
“They will be trying harder than ever next year to get out of Division Two.”
Allott and the coaching staff have had some flak from disgruntled members at Old Trafford – and the former seamer is under no illusions that he has to get things right on the field, irrespective of what he does elsewhere in a role which overseas the whole of cricket in the county – from professional level to grassroots.
“I have learned pretty quickly that as director of cricket for Lancashire with a remit for all cricket in Lancashire both professional and recreational, it is the first team’s performance that everyone treats as a yardstick to my success or failure, irrespective of what else I may or may not do throughout the club or the county,” said Allott.