Curtis Patterson has been named New South Wales' Sheffield Shield captain, taking over permanently from Peter Neville, who held the role for three years.
Patterson captained the team at the end of last season when Neville was absent for the birth of his child and will now lead a team that looks to the future with a crop of young batsmen.
Pat Cummins will continue to be the captain of the ODI team, although it remains to be seen how much he is able to play for his state around international commitments. Patterson also led in his absence last season, including a win in the final against Western Australia.
"To be appointed full-time captain of the Blues' four-day team is something I am extremely honored and have been asked to do," Patterson said.
"I grew up idolizing NSW cricket and have a strong love for NSW cricket and the blues, so being named captain is something I don't take lightly and I'm very excited about. I want NSW cricket to be Be in a better place during my tenure. Done, whenever it can and I know I am very fortunate to have captained such a talented group.
"Nev was a fantastic leader who has left us in great shape and I'm certainly looking forward to having him on the team if I need to call him that."
New South Wales, in charge of Neville's time, won the 2019-2020 Sheffield Shield after they were declared champions after an early conclusion of the season due to the onset of the pandemic. They were runners-up in the previous season when they lost to Queensland in the final, which was also defeated by Victoria in 2018-19 in the final.
Neville said, "With KP being captain for the next long time, now is the natural time for him to take over." "I will support him in any way he needs or wants, and I'm really looking forward to being able to make a contribution where I can with my young players and help them succeed in the next phase of their careers." I can."
Coach Phil Jacques hinted at the change last week, but believes Neville's knowledge will remain important to the team.
"Whatever role Peter plays within our team, he's a leader, he's a top man, he's someone the players look up to," he told ESPNcricinfo. "Whoever is actually leading the captaincy will be helped by a lot of leaders."
New South Wales made significant changes to their batting order at the end of last season in the wake of Tasmania's dismissal for 32. Youngsters Lachlan Hearn, Matthew Gilkes and Baxter Holt were brought into the team along with Jason Sangha and Jack Edwards.
Patterson, who played two Tests for Australia in the 2018–19 season, had a lean campaign with 362 runs at 21.29 and 102 of them came in an innings against South Australia.
New South Wales are set to begin their season with Marsh Cup matches in Perth in mid-September, followed by a Sheffield Shield opening round against Victoria on 29 September, although uncertainty remains due to the ongoing lockdown in Sydney and How can this affect interstate travel?