Leicestershire's Phil Whitticase delighted by Ben Smith deal
- Published
Smith only retired as a player in 2010
Leicestershire head coach Phil Whitticase says Ben Smith's appointment as batting coach will have a huge impact on their Championship form.
Leicestershire finished bottom of Division Two of the County Championship in 2011, winning just one game.
Whitticase told BBC Radio Leicester, external Smith's signing is a significant one.
"He will obviously specialise with the batting, but will assist me, work closely with the second team and take our fielding to a new level," he said.
"With the way the game is moving forward it's important we have these athletes out on the field."
Smith, who has gained his Level 4 coaching qualification, played for Leicestershire for 11 seasons from 1990 before joining Worcestershire, external.
He played for Worcestershire from 2002 until 2010 and became full-time assistant coach last season.
Whitticase added: "We felt he would offer a lot to us as a coach.
"He is heavily involved with Graham Thorpe and the England batters and has also played quite a role with the fielding groups.
"We haven't scored enough runs in the first innings [in the Championship] and have always put ourselves in a position where we are chasing a game or holding onto a game.
"Ben can offer expertise in a key area. He can offer a bit of confidence and maybe remind the players that they are here because they are good players."