Watkin to head Cricket Academy

Steve Watkin, the Glamorgan and former England fast bowler, will retire at the end of the season to take up a new position as the first Academy Director of the new Welsh Cricket Academy.

The aim is to recruit six youngsters in the first year, increasing this to nine in subsequent years, and to provide them with the training, coaching and advice needed to help them achieve professional status.

After 16 years in cricket, Watkin says it was a difficult decision to leave the game: It'll be a huge wrench giving up playing professional cricket, but I feel very lucky to have enjoyed considerable success as a cricketer and I'm now looking forward to giving something back to the game.