Graham Wagg ready to use his experience to lead Shropshire to national glory

The former Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Glamorgan all-rounder’s first-class career ended earlier than he would have liked at the end of last season when he was unable to agree new terms with the Welsh county.

But the 38-year-old was not short of offers of work and is now in the process of setting up his own coaching business, playing and coaching at Wiltshire club Biddestone and experiencing National Counties cricket for the first time as player and white ball captain of Shropshire.

The approach from Shropshire was made by John Abrahams, the former Lancashire captain who was appointed Shropshire’s director of cricket last year and whose relationship with Wagg goes back almost a quarter of a century.

“I have known John for a long time because he was my coach going through England age groups and he was also my England Under-19 manager,” Wagg said. “I got a message from him to see if I was willing to have a chat about Shropshire. I wasn’t aware that he was with Shropshire to be honest, but we had a few conversations and it went from there.

“He discussed the direction they want to take Shropshire in. He wants to mix things up a bit and be a little bit more professional than before and I was very happy with that.

“We then had a conversation around the captaincy side of things. It’s something I have done a bit of in first-class cricket and it’s something I have enjoyed doing.

“The off-field things are not something that I would enjoy. They’re not me because, although I love the game to bits, after a match I like to do my own thing.

“But John is going to take all that pressure off me off the field and I am going to concentrate on the games with the odd selection Zoom meeting and really focus on my performance and what I do on the field.”

Wagg made an encouraging start to his Shropshire career with a match-winning all-round performance in their National Trophy opener against Northumberland at Oswestry last month. He will hope to carry that into Sunday’s second fixture away at Cheshire. But Wagg’s contribution to the development of a young and improving side is not going to be measured in runs and wickets alone.

“One of the main reasons why John has brought me in as white ball captain is to pass on my knowledge,” Wagg said. “Not necessarily on the technical aspects but more about the mental side of the game and how you go about your business.

“Play with a smile on your face but play it hard. The early signs are that we are managing that and putting performances in.

“Sam Whitney will captain the three-day side but I will be there as his right-hand man to help him through it.

“My ideas and information are going to be there if Sam needs it rather than me come in and changing everything. It will be good experience for Sam captaining Shropshire and a big thing for him to captain the side.

“It’s a huge achievement to play for your county and Sam very proud of captaining the side, as he should be.”

Although these are early days in Wagg’s Shropshire career, his first impressions of National Counties cricket are favourable and warm-up matches against Worcestershire and Lancashire reunited him with a couple of familiar faces.

“I have been impressed by the standard of cricket. I was pleasantly surprised,” he said. “In pre-season we played a Worcestershire side that included Ross Whiteley and Adam Finch. Kadeer Ali was coach and we first played together at Warwickshire when we were about 10 so it was good to catch up with him.

“Lancashire brought down a really young Academy side and Karl Krikken was in charge. He was my coach at Derbyshire when I was there so it was also good to see him again.

“I did feel a bit old bowling at a team of 19-year-olds, but I am enjoying the atmosphere.

“I still work hard on my fitness and my game which I have always prided myself on. There are a lot of youngsters in our side and coming into a new side is always hard and the expectation level is higher than it would be if I was going to another first-class county.

“So there is pressure but I’m enjoying it, I really am.”