Ajmal Shahzad says Derbyshire will be aiming to build momentum early in the 2022 season, as the side look to take a winning mentality into the rest of their first campaign under Mickey Arthur.
Fixtures for 2022 have now been released, with Derbyshire beginning against Middlesex at Lord’s, starting on Thursday 7 April, before the first home against Sussex at The Incora County Ground the following week.
Full crowds will be back in the ground for the first full season since 2019, with the East Midlands Derby with Notts Outlaws and the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, in association with Chesterfield Borough Council, likely to be played in front of large home attendances.
Assistant Coach, Bowling Lead, Shahzad, says the release of fixtures will give the squad added focus as they work towards the first game, with Arthur’s start date pushed back after testing positive for Covid-19.
“As much as we’re playing away for the first game and it would be lovely to win that, the first game at home means a lot,”
“It’s the start of the season and we’ll be hoping for some good weather, and it’s against Sussex, who will still be feeling some of the scars from the last time we played them, which was a fantastic win for us.
“It would be good to pick up momentum against Middlesex and transfer that into our first home fixture, to show the supporters the kind of direction we’re going in.
“Under Mickey, we’re really pushing for what we want to achieve this season. We want to put in some really good performances and show the other counties that we’re here to make our mark. We’re going to give the players opportunities to show what they’re about and there’s really exciting times to come.”
Click the video above for the full interview, including an update on Mickey Arthur.
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