Warwickshire County Cricket Club has appointed James Thomas as their new performance director, recruiting him from Premier League football club Manchester City. Thomas, who currently holds the position of director of performance services at Manchester City, will transition to cricket in June, taking over from Gavin Larsen at Edgbaston.
Thomas has a background in professional rugby union and previously served as performance director at British Gymnastics for five years. During his tenure, he played a key role in the sport’s success at the Tokyo Olympics.
His appointment follows a comprehensive high-performance review conducted by Warwickshire during the offseason, which led to the departure of men’s head coach Mark Robinson. In this restructured setup, Thomas will assume overall responsibility for Warwickshire men’s team, the women’s team (Bears), and the Birmingham Phoenix teams.
Stuart Cain, Warwickshire’s chief executive, expressed his confidence that Thomas’ expertise will be instrumental in creating a successful environment at the club.
Cain highlighted Thomas’ reputation in high-performance sports and his proven ability to adapt to different sports and quickly identify key factors for success. He emphasized Thomas’ experience in creating world-class performance environments in football and Olympic sports.
Cain further noted that Thomas has a track record of establishing successful performance environments that lead to achievements by developing necessary facilities and structures for top-level players and teams.
He believes that combining Thomas’ expertise with the existing cricket leadership team’s extensive experience will lead to significant progress for Warwickshire.
Cain pointed out that Thomas’ experience in building teams and individuals capable of handling pressure situations aligns with the areas for improvement identified in the recent performance review.
Furthermore, Thomas’ global experience provides him with an understanding of the impact of international leagues on domestic structures, which is crucial in the evolving landscape of franchise cricket.
The review also emphasized the need for Warwickshire to modernize their recruitment and game preparation methods by utilizing data and analysis more effectively. Cain believes Thomas’ experience in this area will help implement more accountability and structure in player development and team building.
Cain also mentioned Thomas’ experience working with multiple coaches across different disciplines in both men’s and women’s sports, which is relevant as he will oversee three teams across four game formats.
Cain concluded by stating that Thomas’ decision to join Warwickshire reflects the increasing professionalization and global nature of cricket, positioning it alongside football.
Although Thomas will officially start in the summer, Warwickshire mentioned that he will spend time with the men’s and women’s squads during pre-season and consult with other leading figures in cricket to prepare for his new role.
Thomas expressed his enthusiasm for his new position, stating he was impressed by Warwickshire’s commitment to preserving their culture while striving for continuous improvement and sustained success.
He is eager to meet the players, coaches, and staff and collaborate towards achieving outstanding cricket performances in the future.
