<
>

Monty Panesar handed Middlesex inner-city scouting role

Monty Panesar will try to revive his career back at Northamptonshire Getty Images

Monty Panesar has been handed the chance to help identify a new generation of young players within London's inner city, after being appointed as a Borough Lead for Middlesex.

Panesar, who has been forging a career in the media since his final season of professional cricket for Northamptonshire in 2016, is one of three new scouting appointments by Middlesex, alongside Ayzaz Hussain (Ealing) and Jim Clarke (Enfield/Barnet).

"We are delighted to announce the three new Borough Leads, all who will add a huge amount to our youth programme," Mark Lane, Assistant Head of Youth Cricket for Middlesex, said.

"To be able to attract someone of Monty Panesar's calibre and experience to the role speaks for itself, and the fact that two of the appointments have previously been involved for a number of years and therefore have a real understanding of the standard of player Middlesex Cricket is looking for at this level of our Player Pathway is hugely important.

"We are hugely excited with the three appointments we have made and are looking forward to them making a real impact in their new roles."

The appointments come amid a mass restructuring of Middlesex's coaching set-ups, following the recent departure of head coach, Stuart Law, in the wake of a disappointing 2021 season.

Last week, the club's interim coach, Alan Coleman, was named as head of Men's Performance Cricket, with a new First XI coach and a club coach to be appointed in due course.

Panesar takes over his inner city role from James Fielding, who has stepped down after two years due to personal reasons.

According to a Middlesex press release, the Borough Leads will focus on identifying talent at under-10, under-12 and under-14 levels across eight London Boroughs, and building a winter training programme to develop youngsters in advance of the borough fixture programme in 2022.