Michael Klinger Interview Part Two
11 February 2013
In the second part of our exclusive interview with Michael Klinger, the new Gloucestershire captain talks about his excitement at joining the club on a two-year contract.
The experienced South Australia batsman was appointed to succeed Alex Gidman as skipper in December and can’t wait to take up his new role.
When did you first hear of Gloucestershire’s interest in signing you as captain?
"John Bracewell gave me call towards the end of last year and threw the idea at me, asking if I would be interested. I have been wanting to play a full summer of county cricket for a long time now and got the opportunity to play for eight weeks with Worcestershire last season. That was a fantastic experience, despite all the rain which made batting difficult, and made me hungrier still to come back for more. The added chance to captain a side and look to help them improve and progress made Gloucestershire’s offer even more appealing. I look forward to passing on some of my experience to the younger guys in the squad."
How much do you know about the Gloucestershire team you will be captaining?
"I’ve spoken a fair bit to John Bracewell and I know we have some experienced professionals, who I will have to lean on initially when I come over. It will take a while for me get to know all the players, what they can do and what periods of a game they perform best in, particularly when it comes to one-day cricket. I realise that the team is quite young and I hope I can play a part in helping the less experienced guys improve their game to an extent that some of them emerge as future leaders themselves. I watched Ed Young play a T20 game in Australia the other day and he scored a hundred off 50 balls against my club team Kensington. He looked really impressive so I know there is a lot of talent among the younger players at Gloucestershire."
Do you know any of the senior players?
"I have played against Hamish Marshall in my younger days at Under-19 level and when I toured New Zealand with the Australian Cricket Academy, but I haven’t seen him for ten years or so. I met Ed Young for the first time when he came out to Australia a year ago. I haven’t met Alex Gidman yet, but he has been in contact with me by email offering any help I might need. Speaking to Ed Cowan, who was with Gloucestershire last year, I believe there is a great group of lads at the club so I can’t wait to get over there and join them."
Has John Bracewell talked to you about targets for the coming season?
"Not in depth as yet. Our initial conversations have been about me coming over, but certainly in the coming weeks we will be chatting and going over what his goals are. I will be leaning heavily on his guidance, as well as that of the senior players, and once I get to know the squad better I will be able to make up my own mind about what is realistic."
You have a good record in all formats of the game, Michael. Is there one you prefer?
"I actually enjoy the different challenges that each format brings. I have been a regular one-day player longer and find T20 really exciting, but at the same time the problems that four-day cricket throw up are equally demanding and I find that absorbing too. It’s a bit early to say where I will fit into the batting line-up at Gloucestershire. I’m happy to open or go in lower down, whichever fits in with the team balance, but from my talks with John so far it seems likely I will have a top order role."
When can we expect to see you and will you be bringing your family?
"I will be coming to England at the beginning of April, a week and a bit before the first game, together with my wife and two young kids. We are just going to take a short break at the end of the Aussie season and then come straight to Bristol. There is a little break after our first fixture, which most of the players would probably prefer later in the season, but should help me and my family with time to settle in. My wife Cindy and children Bailey, aged two and a half, and Summer, who is 11 months, will be staying throughout the season so it should be a great experience for them too. They are looking forward to making a home in Bristol."
