Yorkshire bid farewell to White

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Craig White has his sights set on an umpiring career after choosing to leave Yorkshire. "I want to aim as high as I can," said the 41-year-old

Yorkshire have confirmed Craig White has chosen not to reapply for his position as first-team coach and will therefore be ending his 21-year association with the club.

As part of a restructuring progress at Headingley Carnegie, the five members of Yorkshire’s coaching staff working beneath director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon were invited to apply for four new positions.

Former England all-rounder White, who captained Yorkshire between 2004 and 2006, has decided not to take up the offer and is now aiming to carve out a career as an international umpire.

White told the Yorkshire Post: “It was my choice completely not to reapply for the job and I am leaving Yorkshire on friendly terms. A lot of people, when they leave clubs, do so all bitter and twisted but that most certainly is not the case with me.

“When I found out that the coaches were having to re-apply for their positions it just brought a few things into focus from my point of view. It gave me time to reflect and think about the future and what I want to be doing with my life in 10 years’ time.

“As much as I love working with the players and the cricketing aspects, there are some parts of coaching I don’t enjoy. All I wanted was to be outside working with the players, but that’s only part of a coach’s job.

“It’s sad to leave, but I’ve so many happy memories. There have been some great times and I’ve made some terrific friends along the way. Yorkshire cricket has been my life and winning the County Championship and a one-day final at Lord’s were obvious highlights.

“If you told me I’d have been involved at the club for so long when I first came to Yorkshire as a teenager, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

As a player, White represented Yorkshire in 221 first-class games, scoring 10,376 runs at an average of 34.01 and taking 276 wickets at 27.71. He also featured in 30 Tests and 51 one-day internationals for England.

On his decision to move into umpiring, he added: “I’ve always been interested in it, and, when I was coming towards the end of my playing career, I looked at the various possibilities,” he admitted.

“I’m hoping that I might be able to umpire a few second-team games next summer and take it from there.

“I want to aim as high as I can and work my way up on to the international panel. It will be hard work and there’s no guarantee I’ll make it, but I’m determined to give it a crack.

“I’ve played at international level and I know the pressures involved, so hopefully that will stand me in good stead, but my first objective is to get on the first-class list.”

Moxon said: “Craig has been a wonderful servant to Yorkshire over a long period of time. He’s been very committed and passionate about Yorkshire cricket and was certainly a tremendous help to me in the two years in which he was my assistant.

“Craig has decided he needs to go in a different direction and I can fully understand where he’s coming from. I totally respect his wishes and would like to wish him all the very best for the future.”

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