Exclusive: Cricketers pay for their own pre-season tour at cash-strapped Yorkshire

YORKSHIRE’s cricketers are helping the club out of their current financial plight by paying towards their own pre-season tour.

The players are putting their hands in their pockets to help fund a 12-day trip to Barbados.

Yorkshire are around £20m in debt after announcing a loss of nearly £2m for 2010.

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But rather than go without their annual pre-season tour, which is difficult for Yorkshire to justify in the current climate, the players have decided to stump up some of the money themselves.

The players are understood to be paying around half the costs, with the rest provided by sponsors including the Yorkshire County Cricket Supporters’ Association and the Yorkshire Players’ Association.

The Supporters’ Association have donated £4,500, while the Players’ Association have awarded a £1,000 grant to both Moin Ashraf and Gurman Randhawa, two of the club’s most talented youngsters.

Sixteen players are going on the tour, which runs from March 13-25, along with director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon, coaches Craig White and John Blain and physiotherapist Scott McAllister.

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But Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad are unavailable due to England commitments, while captain Andrew Gale, Adil Rashid, Adam Lyth and Jonathan Bairstow will also play no part as they are touring the West Indies with England Lions until the end of March.

The players’ decision to part-fund the tour emphasises not only the extent of the financial predicament at Yorkshire, where several office staff have been made redundant in recent months, but the club’s determination to weather the prevailing storm.

Despite a further £1m being budgeted to be lost this year, Yorkshire have resisted the temptation to cut back on playing staff as they look to build on the excellent strides taken last year under Moxon and Gale.

Yorkshire will nevertheless be going into the new season with one hand tied behind their back after not signing an overseas player and with star batsman Jacques Rudolph having left the club.

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Yorkshire could possibly be the only first-class county not to field an overseas player next summer, with 14 of the 18 counties having already confirmed foreign imports for 2011.

However, Yorkshire’s quest to build on their third-placed finish in last year’s County Championship and semi-final appearance in the CB40 competition is unlikely to founder on a lack of effort.

The very fact the players are helping pay their own way in the West Indies is further evidence of their determination to succeed, which was so conspicuous by their endeavours last summer.

Initially, Yorkshire were planning to spend a few days pre-season training at Chelmsford in anticipation of better weather in the south of England.

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Now the sunnier climes of the Caribbean beckon for a team determined to end the club’s nine-year wait for silverware.

“The players were very keen to go on a pre-season tour and they offered to put their hands in their pockets,” said Moxon.

“They didn’t have to do it, they weren’t forced to do it – they just decided it was something they wanted to do.

“The bottom line is we all want to be successful and this is further evidence of the players’ commitment.

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“They have worked extremely hard throughout the winter and are determined to hit the ground running.”

Yorkshire’s season starts on April 8 when they play a County Championship match at Worcester.

Once again, a good start promises to be vital, with half the Championship campaign squeezed into the opening eight weeks.

Last year, Yorkshire also warmed up for the new season in Barbados – the prelude to three victories in their opening five Championship games.

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And Moxon believes such tours are excellent preparation for the challenges ahead.

“It certainly doesn’t do you any harm,” he said.

“It can never guarantee success, of course, but it’s a chance to get most of the squad together, to work on a few things and, above all, to get some good quality outdoor practice.

“I’m pretty pleased with how we’re shaping up and this will be a chance to fine-tune one or two things.

“The lads have been putting in the hard yards and this tour will send us into the season better prepared.”

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While in the West Indies, Yorkshire will play a two-day inter-squad game, a 40-over match against Warwickshire and will take part in a Twenty20 event also involving Warwickshire, Essex, Hampshire, Derbyshire, Glamorgan, Barbados and University of West Indies.

Yorkshire play a Twenty20 game against Hampshire before a possible semi-final and final.