Following the fulfilment of his contract with Nottinghamshire at the end of this season, Andre Adams has announced that he has signed a short-term deal with Hampshire for the start of the 2015 season.
Joining the county in 2007, the New Zealander has been at the forefront of Nottinghamshire’s efforts, and is still widely considered to be one of the finest red-ball bowlers in English cricket.
Now eyeing a move into a full-time coaching position, the 39-year-old will spend three months with Hampshire in a leadership role as he looks to gain more experience behind the scenes in cricket.
“The intention was to finish my professional career here but I’ve got a small gap at the start of next season in my coaching regime which is three months to do what I want,” he said.
“The opportunity to play at Notts was been the difference between me giving up on cricket and being another lost soul and staying involved in the game,” - Andre Adams
“The opportunity to work in a different club and environment is a massive part of my learning curve. I’ll get to put things into play that I’ve learned here and at Auckland. It’ll allow me to grow.
“It’s a selfish move for me, but I need to take those opportunities. It has been great for me here but everything has to end.
“Sometimes you forget that as a professional sportsman, your career has to come to an end and my time with Notts is over as of September.”
Adams’ contributions have been invaluable to Nottinghamshire, taking 334 first class wickets at an average of 24.18. He was instrumental in helping his county seal the LV= County Championship in 2010, but announced earlier this summer that he intended to retire following the culmination of the 2014 season.
With the county still competing for County Championship silverware this summer, Adams is focussed on ending the season on a high, by sealing the LV= CC Division One trophy for the Nottinghamshire supporters.
“The opportunity to play at Notts was been the difference between me giving up on cricket and being another lost soul and staying involved in the game,” he said.
“This is a great club, that made me fall back in love with cricket and I still feel I want to give something more back.
What’s important now is me getting back on the park, to be fit and raring to go and put in performances that that I’ve improved as a cricketer and signs me off as the player I want to be.”
“We needed a bowling all-rounder and his stats are incredible, he’ll see us do well in the future," Andre Adams on Will Gidman.
Nottinghamshire have already begin their preparations for the 2015 season, with Harry Gurney and Luke Fletcher both signing new three-year deal with the Club. As well as retaining the services of two of their frontline bowlers, Nottinghamshire have also moved to bring in highly-rated all-rounder Will Gidman from Gloucestershire.
While Adams will surely be sorely missed, he expressed his pleasure in seeing Nottinghamshire continue to develop and predicts great things from the side’s new addition.
“The news of Will Gidman arriving next year is great for the club,” he said. His presence is a massive boost for Notts as far as I’m concerned.
“We needed a bowling all-rounder and his stats are incredible, he’ll see us do well in the future.
“It’s been an amazing eight seasons but I’m moving on to a coaching role now, and moving on to a new club, with new people will be a new challenge for me.
“I’ve played a lot of cricket across the world and one thing you get used to very quickly is new team mates, whether it was moving to Notts, at Auckland or in India or Australia.
“It’ll be sad, I’ve really enjoyed my time here. I’ll never forget this part of the journey, of becoming a different person.”