ANTHONY McGRATH

to put his position across for the first time and to assure fans that he is up for challenges ahead.

 

I started on a personal note by telling how pleased I am to see him staying at the club and I told him that the fans that I have spoken to will be equally delighted to see a Yorkshire lad stay where he belongs.

 

I’m just glad it’s sorted out finally. It’s a weight off my mind to be honest - looking forward to starting the season really.

 

What was it that made you want to leave (October 2006)?

 

I’d just become unhappy really. It was a culmination of the last few years. I just felt we’d lost a lot of players and experience and I just didn’t think we had the ambition on a cricketing front since we’d won the Championship and the C&G. I just thought we had fallen behind other teams and I was worried that cricket was kind of secondary. I wasn’t enjoying my cricket and I just felt a change and a new challenge was for the best. I made my stance to the club and that’s how it all came about.

 

I’ve played here all of my career and I’m passionate about playing for Yorkshire, but I just felt we were missing a trick and not going forward. It’s not so much about winning things - it’s about creating the right environment. We have got a lot of talented players but they’ve got to grow up in the right environment and know what it means to play for Yorkshire. It was a build up of things and I felt after last season it was time to move on.

 

The club have taken a strong public stance as have your representatives. We’ve all been hearing about possible court action and you playing in the Bradford League rather than for the Yorkshire side – was the truth somewhere in the middle?

 

I don’t know where the Bradford League thing came from. The first I heard of that was in one of the papers that I’d rather play in the Bradford League and it said a friend of mine said that, which was rubbish. I actually rang the paper after that and said that I wasn’t willing to comment on my situation because it’s private, but please don’t write things that are untrue. When it was printed again I was really angry because it’s something I would never say. I met people who asked me how I could say these things so I’m quite happy to take people being unhappy because I’d asked to leave, but to say that after playing here so long hurt me.

 

Why haven't you spoken out personally and given your side of the story.

 

My Mum and Dad especially are big Yorkshire fans said that I should get my side across, but I just felt that while the issue was going on I didn’t want to fuel speculation. I was speaking to Stewart (Regan) throughout and when it got to the stage that solicitors became involved I thought it was best not to say anything until the whole thing was over. I was always going to put my side across whatever happened, but I just didn’t want a slanging match to be going on because the club means a lot to me.

 

Probably a little bit naively I never thought it would turn into such a big issue. I think everyone’s sick and tired of it and especially me. If you comment on every little thing it can be misinterpreted and things can be blown out of proportion.

 

What has changed to make you want to stay?

 

Since Christmas things have moved quite quickly in a positive way at the club – Jacques Rudolph and Matt Elliott coming in as cover for Younus Khan, new fitness people – there just seemed to be positive things happening every week. Then there were rumours about a new captain and new director and just speaking to other players they all seemed excited and said there was a different feel about the place. So it was a build up of things, but by then it had got quite deep by  this point with solicitors and I’d kind of got taken out of the equation a little bit. In the end with Darren getting announced and the squad that’s been assembled is something I wanted to be part of.

 

You couldn’t see yourself playing for someone else and watching Yorkshire from a distance.

 

Exactly, this is where I’ve been born and played for Yorkshire schoolboys since 11. This is all I’ve ever known. The reason I’d decided to go was because I was unhappy but then I saw the hard work the club had put in.

 

What relationship have you got with the players/board after all this? Has it changed?

 

Not as far as I know. I’ve always been on friendly terms. The players, the coaching staff and Stewart and Colin – it’s been fine. We’ve spoken probably more than I’ve spoken to my girlfriend over the winter so it’s been fine and there’s no ill feeling as far as I know. I think Stewart and the board respected my position and as I was under contract I respected the club’s position.

 

The fans have speculated whether there was more to the situation than met the eye. It was genuinely that you had become disillusioned and felt it was best to move on?

 

Yeah, that’s the top and bottom of it. September feels like so long ago now. I just felt it was time for me to say something. It didn’t mean I didn’t care about the club, quite the contrary, I just felt that the younger lads at the club needed a good environment. It wasn’t a case of ‘change or I’m leaving’ it was a heartfelt opinion.

 

Do you wish you’d accepted the captaincy now when it was offered a couple of months ago?

 

Obviously I’ve been captain before in the year I was with England and me more than anyone realises what an honour that is. It was a massive decision to ask to leave and to turn the captaincy down was also a massive decision. I just felt at the time (just before Christmas) that I wouldn’t be taking it for the right reasons. I’d been offered a really good pay increase and the captaincy, and people might say I’m mad, but it was never about money. I just felt that I could put up and shut up and take what was offered, but I knew deep down that wouldn’t make me happy. I feel that now with all the things that have happened – Goughie’s come back as captain and I’m delighted about that – in a funny way I’m happy I did that and with all the tings in place now we are in a strong position. I’ve missed out on a pay increase and the captaincy, but it was never about personal rewards. There’s more to life and I’d rather be happy and play my cricket and hopefully create something at the club.

 

If you had the winter again is there anything you’d have done differently?

 

I feel I felt strongly and I did it for the right reasons. I regret that it’s taken so long to sort out, but that’s how I was honestly feeling at the time and I felt I had to say something as a senior player. I think whatever job you do if you are not enjoying it you have the freedom of speech to say that enough’s enough. From that point of view I don’t regret doing it, but I think the club’s in a lot stronger position now especially since the New Year. A new captain and a new director next week so I think most fans will be happy going into the season in the strong position we are.

 

Are you 100% Yorkshire now – there have been people saying that although they wanted you to stay it would not be good to have a disenchanted figure in the dressing room. What would you say to them?

 

Yeah, absolutely - this mediation was set today at Lord’s and if I still felt strongly I would have gone through with that and then on to arbitration. That’s been set up for a while so when it gets to this stage, to call it off you’ve got to feel strongly about it as there is a lot of work gone into setting that up and a lot of legal people involved. If I didn’t feel strongly and wanted to come back and play I would have carried on with all that. I can see the progress the club have made. I am a Yorkshire man, I’ve played here a long time and I’m delighted things have worked out. I am a friend of Goughy – he will be fantastic for everyone with his enthusiasm. Of course I’ll be 100% yes.

 

With all this going on have you managed to stay reasonably fit and start any pre-season training?

 

It has been tough because I’ve not really been able to train with the squad, although pre-season doesn’t start until next week. There’s still six weeks before the first game so I feel comfortable I can get enough cricket practice in before then. Fitness-wise I might need some catching up and in recent times I’ve been doing some training with Castleford Tigers, believe it or not, so they’ve been putting me through my paces. I’ve still been looking after myself and I know what I need to do to get myself ready. I’m just glad it’s over, it’s been getting so close to the season and it has been stressful over the last few weeks. I’ll be fine and I’m looking forward to focussing on cricket again.

 

You’ve not considered a career change – taking up rugby?

 

(laughs) Absolutely not, they’re too big a set of lads and I’ve not done any rugby with them – just the fitness.

 

You must be excited about the season now?

 

Oh yeah, it’s felt weird. I’ve not felt like a cricketer really and that’s what I am. I’m looking forward to starting back and getting the season underway. It’s really exciting times. I can’t wait to meet back up with the lads.

 

You must have England ambitions? You’ve had a couple of really good seasons, so is that something you’d still like to get back into?

 

Every English qualified player wants to play for England. This winter was never about trying to get a better opportunity for that. I feel that wherever you are playing if you are doing well it doesn’t matter. I feel I’m a better player now than when I played for England, but I’ve not had any contact for a few years. Of course I still want to play, but maybe my time has passed. I was a little bit disappointed with how it ended as I felt I did quite well in the Tests and didn’t get a good reason really why I was being left out. I just wanted to come back to Yorkshire and keep improving and performing for the club. I’ve found consistency now, which I didn’t have in my mid-twenties. It’s not something I beat myself up about – if it comes it comes.

 

The last couple of years have gone well on a personal level. Everyone’s hoping that the young batters can find that consistency earlier than I did and some of the others. My position in the side now is to help the younger guys.

 

To have two leg-spinners at Yorkshire – if anyone had said that ten years ago they would have thought you were mad – they are two real talents. There’s Joe Sayers, Andrew Gale, Richard Pyrah, Steve Patterson, Ajmal – the list goes on. It’s important that they can grow up in the right environment to work and to learn and I think we’ve got that now. I think with the right people in charge they will know when to rest and protect some of the youngsters to let them grow.

 

What is your YCCC highlight? 

 

The Championship season after so long was a massive year and then to go down the following year after having worked so hard to win it. It kind of papered over the cracks that we won the C&G which was a massive achievement. It just shows what you can do at the club with the right environment and I think the squad we are putting together now can rival the one we had in 2001. So that’s a massive highlight, and with that getting capped and being captain are the three things which stand out.

 

How much do you feel you learnt from overseas batsman like Lehmann and Bevan?

 

Darren Lehmann has been one of the biggest influences on my career. He’s always believed in me - he’s been good on the mental side of things and has given me his time. Just to watch someone of his ability in the nets or playing you’d be a fool not to pick things up. He’s a bit of a freak sometimes with how he plays so you can’t really copy that. It’s a shame he’s not back next year – it’s a shame he’s not 30-years-old and could go on a few more seasons. You are looking at a guy there who is as proud to play for Yorkshire as I am. He’s been on at me all winter about what’s happening so he still very close to players. We’ve had a lot of good overseas players. Jason Gillespie – I know the fans were hoping he’d make more of an impact but he tried his heart out and I’m sure this year with a little more luck and if we can take a few more catches he will take more wickets.

 

I think everyone’s looking forward to Younus and Jaques coming over. I’ve played against Jaques before when he played for South Africa. Younus has been on good form and I’m sure the members and fans will enjoy watching them at Headingley.

 

What is a reasonable target for YCCC this season following all the changes?

 

It’s difficult to say in terms of positions, but I think in October everyone was tipping us to go down. I think we shouldn’t get too carried away with ourselves, even though we’re assembling a good side. I don’t see why we can’t challenge in the league. It’s going to be a tough league, but if we get off to a good start anything can happen. Obviously keeping 1^st Division status is a must and then anything can happen. There’s the one-day trophies and I think everyone would agree that our one-day form has been woeful over the last couple of years and I know that’s one thing that Goughy wants to address.

 

Did you get tickets to the latest Take That come back tour?

 

I saw them in concert in Manchester last year. I was delighted they came back and it was a great night.

 

Someone told me you write postcards to yourself – is that true?

 

That was a while ago (laughs). It was when I was on tour in Pakistan and was a while ago (chuckles).

 

And a final message to the Yorkshire faithful???

 

It’s been such a rollercoaster of a winter, but I just want to get across that I’m delighted to be staying. This is where I’ve played my entire career, where my heart is and I just hope that our players, staff and fans can get some silverware and there can be some smiles on everyone’s faces again.

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