Peter Moores says he’s committed to competing for trophies, playing entertaining cricket and helping nurture home-grown talent – following his appointment as Head Coach of Nottinghamshire.
The 53-year-old say he’ll be asking players and coaching staff alike to spend the winter finding ways to improve, before targeting a successful 2017 campaign.
“Cricket is about winning trophies, of course it is, and it’s also about playing in a way your members and supporters get excited about, because we’re in the entertainment business,” says Moores.
“It’s also about producing players, about seeing youngsters coming through and making their way into first team cricket – and hopefully our own players moving on to play international cricket.
“Youngsters are always exciting because they improve quickly and bring energy to everybody.
“It’s an exciting time, not just for the youngsters but for the senior players as well.
“A player at any level can always improve and offer more. We’ll be asking all the players to look at where they’re at and what they can bring next season, because we’re going to have to play better.
“It would be wrong to think there’s not work to be done, because we’ve had a tough season and there are areas we’ve got to improve,” he adds.
“That’s a challenge, not just for me as Head Coach but also for everyone in the setup; to look carefully at what we’re doing well and what areas need to get better.
“We’ll have the winter months to really get stuck in and improve - and then we’ll come back next year and look to play well in all three competitions.
“We’ve played some excellent cricket in the one-day stuff this year, but we haven’t played our best in the championship and that’s an area we’ve got to look at.”
Moores, who has been employed as Coaching Consultant at Trent Bridge since July 2015, has been appointed to his newly created position on a three-year deal.
The 14-month stint focusing on one-to-one coaching has allowed Moores to find out all he needs to know about the Club.
“Nottinghamshire by nature is a big Club. It’s steeped in history and is one of the biggest Clubs in the country,” he said.
“Clubs are also about people and I’ve got to know those involved at Trent Bridge.
“This is a unique county, it’s built on strong foundations, it has a family feel and there are lots of experienced players here.
“To have a chance to move things forward after what’s been a very tough season is a very exciting challenge.
“Change is exciting. It can be a little bit scary but there are lots of good things to build on and everybody has to be involved in that.
“I’m passionate about helping people develop and creating opportunities for coaches and players alike.
“There are areas where we need to tweak a few things to move it forward and get better results.
“As a Head Coach you can have a strong influence on that and try to create an environment in which people can get better.
“You certainly don’t do that by yourself, you do it with the coaching staff, the players and everyone else at the Club.
“Winning is often a by-product. Once everybody is committed and enjoying their cricket, it starts to spill out in better performances.”
Moores will continue to work with Director of Cricket Mick Newell, with the new Head Coach taking day-to-day charge of the first team from 1 October.
It’s a structure in which the former Sussex, Lancashire and England man flourished in at Lancashire, winning the LV= County Championship in 2011.
“You find your feet as a pairing,” he said, “I get on very well with Mick and he’s got a huge amount of experience, both of the Club itself and in the role.
“Cricket has changed, and will continue to do so. These days there is so much more to the role of Director of Cricket than the First Team so it’s the right time for the Club to review its existing structure.
“As well as the managerial and administrative duties, the first team, second team, Academy side and age-group cricket all need overseeing to make sure we’re all pulling in the same direction and producing great players.
“I’ll work with the players and coaches. Mick will oversee all cricket, with a focus on player pathways and making sure the production of new players coming in is the best it possibly can be, which it needs to be for a Club with Notts’ aspirations.
“Our partnership will make sure that there is a strong focus on player development at every level and be knitted into the fabric of how we move forward. We’re both ready for the change and for the challenge ahead.”