Sponsored by
McGrath running out of patience
Somerset v Yorkshire
LV County Championship
YORKSHIRE captain Anthony McGrath is threatening "massive changes" to the club's playing staff unless his under-performing team turn their season around.
The former England batsman is warning there will have to be a major clear-out at Headingley Carnegie if his side fail to halt their alarming decline.
Yorkshire go into today's County Championship game at Taunton knowing that failure to win would set a club record of 18 first-class matches without a victory.
Only twice previously have Yorkshire gone 17 first-class games without a win – in 1971 under the captaincy of club director Geoffrey Boycott and in 1989-90 under the leadership of Phil Carrick/director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon – and McGrath insisted there would need to be a significant shake-up unless results improved.
"If things don't get better between now and the end of the season we're going to have to make massive changes at the end of the year – it's as simple as that," said McGrath.
"We've got a fairly young squad but, at the end of the day, we're playing for Yorkshire and with that comes passion and pressure.
"You've got to be a man and stand up to that pressure. You can't hide behind anyone if you're in the first team because you've got to put in some massive performances.
"We know we're under pressure as a team and we know the members and supporters are not happy – and rightly so.
"It's not down to the coaches or the people behind the scenes – it's down to the players.
"Talent is great and potential is great, but it's the here and now that's important and I'm sick and tired of talking about building for the future.
"There are players here who are playing for their futures at the club – that's the bottom line."
McGrath's men have endured an unhappy campaign, sitting third-bottom of the First Division and failing to progress beyond the group stages of the Friends Provident Trophy and Twenty20 Cup.
Their last Championship win came on their previous visit to Taunton just over a year ago.
"The longer we go without a win, the longer people will talk about it and we need to get this monkey off our backs," he added.
"Although the Championship table is still quite tight, unless we get our first win and soon then we'll be fighting relegation, and with the team we've got that's simply not good enough.
"I do believe we've got the players to turn the season around, but it's up to them to go out and show it.
"We can't keep going over the same old ground. Things haven't changed and batting-wise we just seem to collapse like a pack of cards.
"The last few matches have been a case in point. Before the Twenty20 break we were in a great position to qualify but then we lost our last four games, which was desperately disappointing.
"We should have qualified for the quarter-finals easily but we didn't. It all comes down to individuals standing up at the crucial times and mental toughness, which I think we need to improve."
McGrath admitted it would be a tall order to win at Taunton but insisted Yorkshire could take heart from their victory there last summer.
He also believes his team are at least creating chances to win games. "It's not like we're being beaten to a pulp every match," declared McGrath. "We're getting ourselves into positions to win but just not getting ourselves over the line.
"We've got 10 Championship games left and I still believe we can make an impact in the title race, but to do that we've got to start winning soon.
"It's going to be difficult at Taunton because, historically, there are a lot of draws down there. But we proved last year we can win at the venue and it's at times like this when you're down in the dumps that you need to draw on your positive experiences."
McGrath's comments were echoed by Moxon, who said: "The players have got to prove to us that they're the future of this club.
"That's what we've said to them because we're looking for the players now to take this club forward.
"Between now and the end of the season, we'll be looking at who we want to keep and who will be the backbone of the team.
"If there are some gaps then we'll have to bring people in, but we still believe in the players and we know they're capable of better."
Yorkshire will be down to the bare bones for today's fixture, which starts on the day Michael Vaughan will officially announce his retirement from first-class cricket during a news conference at Edgbaston.
Adam Lyth will take Vaughan's place in the batting line-up, while Jonathan Bairstow will keep wicket after Gerard Brophy dislocated his right thumb during Sunday's Twenty20 Cup defeat against Derbyshire – an injury that could keep the South African sidelined for a month.
Pakistani overseas player Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is again missing with a hip injury, while left-arm spinner David Wainwright is still out after splitting the webbing on his bowling hand.
Yorkshire are without all-rounders Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid, who are on England duty, while pace bowler James Lee is set to make only his second first-class appearance, at the expense of Deon Kruis.
First-class matches since last victory
Durham 0
Essex 0
Gloucestershire 0
Hampshire 0
Somerset 0
Nottinghamshire 1
Surrey 1
Sussex 1
Warwickshire 1
Kent 2
Northamptonshire 2
Derbyshire 3
Lancashire 3
Middlesex 5
Leicestershire 7
Glamorgan 8
Worcestershire 9
Yorkshire 17
Email to a friend
Print this page- Leeds lose Ward to Palace: Is there anyone they can afford now?
- Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward
- As Snodgrass dithers over Leeds, Warnock throws a lifeline
- Ball is in Leeds United’s court over contract - Snodgrass
- Police turning blind eye to Asian voter fraud, says MP
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
