'Dad's Army' proving golden for Yorkshire in Blast
Moeen Ali came out of retirement to sign a one-year contract with Yorkshire this season
- Published
Yorkshire head coach Anthony McGrath believes his team's flying start in the T20 Blast has shown the wisdom of the county's "Dad's Army" recruitment approach.
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali, 38, and Australian pace bowler AJ Tye, 39, were signed on T20-only contracts and the Tykes have won their opening two matches in the North Group.
Moeen made a half-century and Tye combined with another of Yorkshire's new recruits, Hasan Ali, to see them over the line in a breathless two-wicket win, external against Derbyshire which backed up their opening victory over Nottinghamshire.
"We have a really good core of younger players who are gaining experience but probably aren't the finished article in terms of the higher end of competition. Moeen Ali, AJ Tye and Hasan have probably played 1,000 T20 games between them all which is gold really," McGrath told BBC Radio Leeds.
"It's not just what you are seeing on the pitch. More than anything we are bringing those guys in to help the younger guys and accelerate their development in training and pass on bits you can't get unless you have been through those things yourself as a player.
"That was the thinking behind it.
"We have started really well and hopefully those guys can keep contributing and the younger guys are learning on the job as well."
Anthony McGrath oversaw a disappointing Vitality Blast campaign last season with Yorkshire finishing eighth out of nine in their group
Yorkshire are one of only four counties never to have won the domestic T20 competition, but their early statement of intent has raised hopes that this could be the year of the White Rose.
Their recruitment policy was playfully dubbed "Dad's Army" by Yorkshire spinner Dom Bess in pre-season.
"The players who, as Dom said, are a bit older just have that love for the game. If you have that in players of that ability the young players lap that up," McGrath added.
"It's great for the coaches as well because it is like having extra coaches in the building."
Yorkshire face a Durham side who made the quarter-final last season on Friday at Chester-le-Street before hosting Gloucestershire on Sunday at Headingley.
"It's a big weekend for us," McGrath said.
"If we can get two wins that really does set us up well. We know the goal this weekend. We go up to Chester-le-Street full of confidence."
