Parkinson: "There's a great feeling in the group"

Callum Parkinson has had a varied, exciting winter after making a big impression for the Foxes during the 2017 season.

The slow left armer spent the pre-Christmas period in Australia with England Lions before coming back to train at the Fischer County Ground in preparation for the new campaign.

Parkinson then flew out with the squad for their pre-season camp to Desert Springs, Spain, where the players have had some vital warm weather training this week.

Although Parkinson was not formally part of the Lions squad, he was able to work on spin bowling with a number of other spinners and have a great learning experience.

Somerset duo Jack Leach and Dom Bess, and Surrey’s Amar Virdi, were the main spinners in the squad, and Liam Livingstone (Lancashire) and Dan Lawrence (Essex) were also on the tour.

Parkinson initially swapped the warmth of the Southern Hemisphere for the cooler climes of the East Midlands but the trip to Desert Springs has helped with the transition.

He said: "The weather was certainly different in Leicester when I came back but it was easy to go back to train at the FCG with the Nico [Paul Nixon] appointment.

"His enthusiasm is obvious and there is a great feeling amongst the group. In red ball cricket last year we were disappointing and we’re working so hard to change that for 2018.

"The week's work that we have done in Desert Springs has been so beneficial, it's the first time that we have been able to net outdoors together. The contest between bat and ball has been competitive, and the batsmen have chipped in with bowling while the bowlers have batted, so it's been a good challenge for everyone.

“The majority of work I did with the ECB was with Peter Such, a former Leicestershire player who is the lead Spin Bowling Coach at the ECB. Peter has worked with some of the best spinners in the world and has such a vast pool of knowledge, picking his brain was so useful for me.

“It was great to see where my bowling is at, compared to the other lads who are ahead of me. I’d like to think I am not a million miles away, hopefully I have a good start to the season and put in consistent performances and put my name in the frame for selection.”

As well as working alongside Nixon, the appointment of new Head Bowling Coach Matt Mason has also filled Parkinson with excitement.

The Foxes have undergone some tough sessions at the moment across all disciplines. They have taken on some fatigue drills to get the players used to batting at uncomfortable times, for example after a long day in the field.

He said: “We’ve had some hard and enjoyable sessions both indoors at the FCG and outdoors in Spain, and it’s been good to be working with Matt [Mason].

“Matt comes with such a good pedigree and I’m really looking forward to working with him more. Working with Matt and Carl Crowe will stand me in good stead before the season gets underway.”

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