Glamorgan should use Matthew Maynard’s departure as an opportunity to reset and transfer on from a tradition of “cronyism”, one of many county’s former gamers says.
Head coach Maynard introduced final Thursday that he’s to step down after 5 years of his second spell in cost, a yr earlier than his contract ends.
Ex-wicketkeeper Tom Cullen believes Glamorgan have been held again by their coverage of appointing former gamers – comparable to Maynard, director of cricket Mark Wallace and outgoing chief government Hugh Morris – to administration positions, which he regards as “cronyism”.
Cullen was a member of Glamorgan’s 2021 One-Day Cup-winning workforce underneath David Harrison however, in red-ball cricket, he says Maynard has overseen a “cliquey” and “cosy” setting which has contributed to the county’s repeated failure to win promotion from County Championship Division Two.
Throughout his 5 years at Glamorgan, Cullen additionally alleges there “was an excessive amount of enabling of a consuming tradition on the membership”.
“From my expertise they only preserve doing the identical issues and never making any modifications in any respect,” Cullen informed BBC Sport Wales.
“The definition of madness is doing the identical issues and anticipating totally different outcomes.
“I really feel like there is a stage of mediocrity that simply will get accepted yr after yr.
“I feel there’s an excessive amount of cronyism within the setting.
“There are too many people in positions of management which are too pleasant with one another, and you understand how exhausting it’s to carry pals accountable.
“That must be checked out as a result of it clearly hasn’t labored over the past 10 years.”
In response, Glamorgan chairman Mark Rhydderch-Roberts mentioned: “We’re all the time open to suggestions from any of our gamers, employees, members or supporters.
“With Matt [Maynard] and Hugh [Morris] each leaving the membership, there is a chance to mirror on the achievements of the previous decade but in addition to overview how the membership develops from subsequent season onwards.
“The board and senior administration continually overview all elements of the membership’s operations on and off the sector.
“For clarification, Tom Cullen was not provided a brand new contract at Glamorgan County Cricket Membership for the 2023 season.”
Distinguished gamers leaving Glamorgan ‘cleaning soap opera’
Cullen, 31, left Glamorgan on the finish of final season, returning to his native Australia after changing into disillusioned with life on the Welsh county.
There have been different notable departures over the previous 12 months, together with membership legend Michael Hogan’s transfer to Kent and captain David Lloyd’s impending departure for Derbyshire.
“Michael Hogan, David Lloyd and Nick Selman – there’s a whole lot of guys which have left on their very own accord,” mentioned Cullen.
“You have to ask your self, are Glamorgan drilling all the way down to the explanations as to why they’re leaving, and are they holding folks accountable for that?
“I do not suppose they’re, and I do not suppose they ever have been, since you’ve by no means heard of any change or any modifications made due to these issues.
“It is unhappy nevertheless it’s the fact.
“It felt like there was a little bit of favouritism in direction of sure people.
“I consider there was an excessive amount of enabling of a consuming tradition on the membership, and I have been away from it for a yr so I do not know if that is nonetheless the case.
“It felt prefer it may have its personal cleaning soap opera.”
Maynard has a protracted affiliation with Glamorgan, serving the county with distinction as a batter for 20 years earlier than returning as head coach in 2008 for a two-year tenure which ended acrimoniously because the workforce simply missed out on promotion from Division Two.
Maynard took the reins for a second time in 2019 after two seasons as batting marketing consultant underneath Robert Croft. This yr, he has solely been answerable for Championship cricket.
Glamorgan have been in promotion competition till early September when defeat at Worcester noticed their hopes fade, they usually completed one spot outdoors the promotion locations in each 2019 and 2022.
The Welsh county have underwhelmed in limited-overs cricket underneath Maynard, with no T20 knockout levels reached since 2017, and Harrison having run the 2021 aspect which gained the One-Day Cup whereas Maynard was working for Hundred franchise Welsh Hearth.
“Over the course of the time I used to be there, there was a whole lot of cliquey behaviour occurring,” mentioned Cullen.
“There was lots of people afraid to talk up. There have been some those who had totally different aspirations and ambitions for what their careers seemed like.
“That was with the coaches as properly. I do not suppose a whole lot of the coaches held a whole lot of the gamers accountable to an equal customary.
“It wasn’t that prime performing tradition you anticipate from knowledgeable sports activities workforce, and once more the outcomes communicate for themselves.
“Over the past 10 years, the degrees of mediocrity on the place has been there to see, disappointment after disappointment, failure after failure, and nothing appears to alter.
“I do know just a few guys, together with myself, introduced up just a few points as a result of we needed to push the membership ahead.
“We needed to push issues ahead, nevertheless it all the time used to fall on deaf ears, and I feel lots of people ended up falling out with folks over it, as a result of there have been some those who left on their very own accord in consequence.
“I feel it is simply too cosy in there, and in case you’re not in that ‘in’ crowd, then it made it very troublesome so that you can progress your personal profession, but in addition assist the membership progress.”
Cullen, from Western Australia, got here via the Cardiff MCCU system and has a one-day batting common of 35.
However his standing as Glamorgan’s reserve wicketkeeper behind Chris Cooke restricted his possibilities, contributing to his departure.
“There are good issues inside the group which are working properly,” mentioned Cullen.
“However then there are additionally some issues which are mired in mediocrity that the board want to have a look at.
“I haven’t got religion they’ll change as a result of I consider they’re going to rent from inside once more. I might like to be confirmed improper, I actually would.
“Me personally, I am now a fan of Glamorgan County Cricket Membership, will all the time be one due to the friendships and the camaraderie I had with folks on the membership
“I simply need to see them make a change for the optimistic, and it wants to return now whereas they’ve the chance to take action.”