The trio bring vast cricketing experience to the Committee and will work with the Board, Performance Director and Coaches to support the club’s ambition of delivering sustainable success across Bears Men and Women as well as Birmingham Phoenix.
Patel, who captained the Bears from 2018-2019, took over 700 wickets across formats during an 11-year spell with the Club and is currently spin-bowling coach for England Men, giving him a unique insight into the requirements of modern elite cricket on a global scale.
Maddy led the 2008 side to the County Championship Division Two title and was part of the squad which won Division One in 2012, as well as the Yorkshire Bank 40 in 2010. He was a pioneer in T20 cricket and will bring that forward-thinking mindset to the Bears as the club continues to integrate Birmingham Phoenix into the cricketing portfolio.
Powell, who previously served on the Committee, will also bring playing experience to the table, while helping in the development of a strong talent pathway through his work as Rugby School’s Director of Cricket where he has helped nurture the talent of male and female players including Jacob Bethell, Amu Surenkumar and was instrumental in Sam Hain becoming a Warwickshire player.
Tracey Orr, Chair of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said: “My firm belief is that teams excel when they commit to bold, future-focused thinking whilst building on everything that is best about their heritage and legacy. As part of the building of that future I am delighted that Jeetan, Darren and Michael are going to be part of our Committee, adding to the excellent insight and support we already receive from Dr Claire-Marie Roberts, who is Director of Human Performance at McLaren Racing, and our Board and Member representatives Iftkhar Ahmed and Lachlan Stephen-Smith.
“Their respective experience will be invaluable to the Committee and, crucially, they will all bring slightly different but complementary areas of expertise.”
Committee member Roberts recently joined McLaren Racing, having spent three years as Performance Director at Coventry City Football Club, during which time they ended a 25-year wait to return to the Premier League. A former international athlete and a chartered psychologist, she also brings experience of women’s elite sport to the Committee through her work with Bath Rugby where she is a non-executive director.
Maddy, Patel and Powell are all Independent Cricket Advisers to the Committee. The role is to sit as an active Member of the Cricket Committee and provide support, analysis and constructive challenge around the club’s high performance strategy, giving the Board assurance that the cricket department is set up to achieve the club’s stated strategic aim of inspiring through winning teams.
This covers Warwickshire, Bears Men, Bears Women, Birmingham Phoenix, the Warwickshire Academy and County Age Groups (boys and girls), facilities and support performance services (cricket operations, data and insight, sports science, physiotherapy, medical, sports psychology) and the Cricket department budget.
The Cricket Committee work with Orr, Chief Executive Stuart Cain, Performance Director James Thomas, Club Coaches Ali Maiden, Ian Westwood and Shane Bond along with key members of the Performance Staff. They are joined at meetings by other members of staff where appropriate.
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