WE are delighted Joe Clarke and Ross Whiteley have signed long-term deals and I think it bodes well for the future of the cub.

It’s vital we try to keep hold of our good young players and, hopefully, there should be further news shortly.

There are a lot of young guys in our squad and I don’t think there are many out of contract at the end of this year but perhaps with one year on their deals. I am sure other guys will soon be signing long-term deals.

If you look at our team it could be the same group in four or five years time because there are only a couple of older boys like me, Alex Gidman and Saeed Ajmal. Hopefully, the younger lads can stick together and become a winning side in the near future.

Clarke signed a new three-year deal and he’s someone who has contributed massively in the first team. He got a magnificent 80-odd against Yorkshire, who have probably got the best bowling attack in the country, at Scarborough. He also scored a superb one-day hundred. Joe’s a massive talent and it’s fantastic for the club to get him tied down for the next three years. It’s great that he wants to be part of Worcestershire’s future. too. Joe has come through our academy system and is one of several Shropshire lads in our set-up with Jack Shantry, Ed Barnard and Richard Oliver. Joe Leach played a little bit for Shropshire too, having gone to Shrewsbury School, so there’s been a flow of talent from that area.

From the bits I have seen, Joe’s a decent wicketkeeper but, at the moment, his batting is his strongest suit. I am sure keeping is something he will look to develop. There’s no better place to develop that skill than at Worcestershire because Steve Rhodes is the coach. You can see the strides that Ben Cox has made in the last few years and he’s now probably the best young keeper in the country and one of the best keepers around. We have benefited from Paul Pridgeon, a former Worcestershire player who is head of cricket at Shrewsbury School. He does a lot of work with lads in that area and he is now on our board so there’s an excellent link.

Ross Whiteley has signed a four-year deal having come across from Derbyshire a couple of years ago.

He’s played very well in white ball cricket since he’s been with us and has forced his way into the red ball side and is performing well there, too.

Some of his white ball innings have been phenomenal. Ross is one of the cleanest hitters I have ever seen and it’s a bonus for us to have him in our squad.