Fresh off the back of helping Surrey secure their first silverware for eight years and a call-up to England’s Performance Programme, promising young batsman Tom Maynard caught up with All Out Cricket’s Ed Kemp at the La Manga Club Twenty20 tournament.
In December last year, Tom Maynard declared his intention to leave Glamorgan, the hometown club he and his family had been involved with ever since he could remember. In a winter of boardroom bloodshed at the county his dad Matt resigned as coach – perceived to have been ‘forced out’ along with captain Jamie Dalrymple as the club suits sought a new direction.
Hurt by the treatment of his father, the then 21-year-old Tom took the difficult decision to leave his home county declaring: “I cannot play another game for Glamorgan under this regime”. Surrey were quick to come knocking and Maynard became a key contributor in a season which saw his new county gain promotion to Division One of the Championship and win the Clydesdale Bank 40.
Was it a difficult decision to leave Glamorgan?
It was a tough, tough decision to move because Glamorgan is where I’ve grown up and watched all my cricket in my youth, and obviously my dad played there for a number of years. But it’s one I think has helped my cricket no end. I’ve enjoyed every minute of being at Surrey, I’ve really enjoyed this season and it’s always nice having success. To come away with my first winners’ medal is very special to me.
How did you come to your decision?
There were a few factors that came into it. It wasn’t only the fact of how my old man got treated poorly, it was a number of things. But in the end the decision I made was for the development of my cricket and how I was going to further myself as a professional cricketer.
Why do you think you’ve developed so quickly at Surrey?
It’s obviously handy to have people like Alec Stewart around. Chris Adams and Ian Salisbury are fantastic, and they’ve done a lot for me this year. They understand my mentality, they go with it. If anything, they say, ‘Be as aggressive as you can be’, which is great for me because I like to come out and try and hit it.
Was that not the case back at Glamorgan?
It was, but I suppose it’s slightly different when you move and it’s coming from people who you aren’t so comfortable with. I enjoy that pressure of coming and trying to prove something, whereas at Glamorgan I was very comfortable. Being asked to perform by these highly thought of guys in a team where you don’t really know anyone, you’ve got to learn your way a bit. This year that’s really suited me. Grizz [Chris Adams] and Sals [Ian Salisbury] will always put the pressure on me and always make sure I’m pushing myself.
What else is different about playing at Surrey?
There’s a lot more scrutiny and there’s obviously a lot more members, so with that comes a lot more pressure. That’s what comes with being at a very big, very well-renowned club. It’s definitely made me more focused. At Glamorgan I had a lot of friends around me, friends outside cricket that I would always go out and see and we’d have beers and whatever, and cricket wasn’t as high up on my priority list as it has become now. I think when you move clubs you realise it’s a job, this is what you do, you’re a professional cricketer.
Moving clubs for me has made a massive difference. When I was at Glamorgan there was nothing to play for in the last four or five games of the season. If you were playing a Championship game in Derby, say, you might think, ‘If we lose this game, it doesn’t really matter, so we might as well go out one night while we’re here’. At Surrey we were right in everything, and playing with intensity right up until the last day of the season, which was brilliant.
How strong has your dad’s influence been on your career?
He’s obviously there for advice whenever I need him, which I suppose is an advantage in itself. If there’s ever anything I need to work out in my game either technically or mentally – or any given scenario – he’s always there to offer support and advice and that’s definitely helped me during my career so far.
What are your expectations for Surrey and for yourself next year?
There’s a feeling in the team that this is a very special side. There’s so much young talent at Surrey at the moment that we feel we can really push in the first division next year and hopefully compete in the other trophies again as well. At the moment being successful at Surrey is all that’s on my radar, but I suppose if that goes well, and I contribute heavily next year for Surrey, you never know, international call-ups may come along.
