Moxon plotting dynasty of success for Yorkshire’s gifted crop of youngsters

Moxon said the quality of youngsters at the club’s disposal augurs well not only for the immediate aim of bouncing back into the First Division but the long-term objective of winning the Championship.

He added that Yorkshire could well have a settled side for several years, which would assist their quest not only to become the best – but potentially dominate the county game too.

As Yorkshire embark on phase one of their mission, to gain Championship promotion, the county’s director of cricket made clear: “We have the potential to become the best team in the country.

“When you look at the young players we’ve got, and the fact they can play together for a number of years, there’s every reason to be optimistic.

“It’s not about building one-hit wonders; it’s about building a squad that can be successful over a sustained period.

“This squad is young enough to be playing together for the next five-to-six years easy, if you include the likes of Andrew Gale and Rich Pyrah, who are in their late 20s.”

Only four members of the current squad are aged over 30 – Anthony McGrath, Gerard Brophy, Ryan Sidebottom and Phil Jaques.

The majority of players are in their early-mid 20s.

Although Yorkshire had a poor season last time, when they finished second-bottom of Division One, it was only two years ago that practically the same squad nearly won the Championship.

Yorkshire finished third in 2010, coming within one batting collapse of winning the title.

“We showed in 2010 what we’re capable of and that’s why last year was so frustrating,” added Moxon. “We know what we can do and we didn’t do ourselves justice.

“We’ve got to deal with that this year and come back stronger.

“We need to get back into that First Division as quickly as we possibly can.”

New club president Geoffrey Boycott and chairman Colin Graves have already made it clear that promotion this season is a minimum requirement.

Moxon shares their determination to get back into the top flight but has also vowed to take nothing for granted.

“Obviously we want to win promotion this season but we’re not going to start thinking it’s a foregone conclusion,” he added. “However, I firmly believe that if we play to our capabilities then we are going to be right up there.

“I want us to have a successful season not just in the Championship but on all fronts, and I know the players are very keen to get to a Lord’s final and to a Twenty20 finals day.

“Those are big occasions and we’re not just going to pay lip service to those competitions, although the Championship is obviously the No 1 priority.”

Yorkshire look well-catered for batting-wise, with the likes of Jaques set to inject quality and experience.

The bowling is more of a work in progress but Moxon sees potential right across the board.

“If you look at the batting side of things, I’m very excited about the way that could shape up over the next few years,” he said. “We’ve got a number of talented youngsters and decent competition for places. As far as the spin bowling is concerned, that’s exciting too.

“In Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq we’ve got two attacking spinners and we’ve also got another attacking spinner in Gurman Randhawa, who has taken a lot of wickets in the second XI.

“The one area where we perhaps need to kick-on during the next year or two is the seam-bowling department.

“We need our seamers to come on and play a dominant part, and, if they do that, we’ll be a very strong side.”

Providing quality seam bowling support to Sidebottom could be key this season, along with the form of the wily Rashid.

The leg-spinner had a difficult year last time out but, if he bowls anything like he can, Yorkshire will have 50-plus wickets from him, guaranteed.

Rashid showed encouraging signs on the pre-season trip to Barbados and has been urged by new first-team coach Jason Gillespie to predominantly focus on taking wickets.

Moxon believes that will only benefit the player.

“Dizzy has come in and basically said that he wants Adil to spin it, and Adil is revelling in that,” he said. “In some ways the pressure is off him now because everyone knows that Adil is looking to spin it and, if he bowls a bad ball or gets hit to the boundary, people can put that into perspective because they realise he’s going all-out to take wickets.

“That was the case in Barbados where Adil went for runs at times but also took wickets by spinning the ball.

“On his day he’s an out-and-out match-winner, and if he can maintain the form he’s shown in pre-season, he’s going to have a bumper year.”

Moxon was pleased with Yorkshire’s displays on the pre-season tour.

The club won the Barbados Twenty20 Cup – a tournament involving several English counties – and enjoyed plenty of longer-form practice.

“One of the most pleasing things was that people had to be got out from a batting point of view,” he said. “People weren’t giving their wickets away as carelessly as they were last year.

“Without getting carried away, there were some really positive signs.

“There’s certainly a strong desire within the players to bounce back strongly.”

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