Jigar Naik appointed Leicestershire head of talent pathway

The former spinner turned umpire replaces Alastair Maiden who left the role to join Yorkshire

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Leicestershire have promoted Jigar Naik to the head of talent pathway ahead of the new 2022 county season.

The 37-year-old replaces Alastair Maiden, who left to join Yorkshire earlier in the year.

Previously a spin-bowling and pathway coach, Naik was the club's first Leicester-born Asian player and also part of the Running Foxes side that won the T20 Blast in 2011, beating Somerset in the final at Edgbaston.

Naik will work in partnership with new director of cricket Claude Henderson, head coach Paul Nixon - both of whom were part of that victorious team 11 years ago - and second XI coach Dips Patel.

“After being at Leicestershire firstly as a junior, then as a player, and then as a coach, it’s a huge honour to take up this next opportunity," he said.

“We’ve got strong methods in place and I’ve got a brilliant team with me. The likes of Paul Johnson, Dave Whitmore and Phil DeFreitas will support me massively and are vital cogs to the team.

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Naik was part of Leicestershire's third Blast title win in 2011 (Tom Shaw/Getty Images)

"We’ve got an exciting crop of players coming through, so I’m looking forward to bringing the best out of them and continuing the Club’s rich history of producing not just Leicestershire cricketers but England cricketers too."

He spent 10 years at Grace Road as a player, finishing with 242 wickets and more than 2,000 runs across the formats, but lost nearly two campaigns to injury in 2012 and 2013.

Playing spells with Dorset, Sileby Town and Cavaliers and Carrington followed, before time as an umpire on the women's County T20 and men's second XI circuit.

A Leicestershire academy that produced Stuart Broad and Harry Gurney has delivered several members of the current first-team including the likes of Lewis Hill, Ben Mike, Sam Evans and Harry Swindells.

More recently, Rehan Ahmed made his List A debut last season before starring for England during their run to the Under-19 World Cup final in the Caribbean.


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