Michael Hogan: Glamorgan great disagrees with calls for change at Welsh county

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Michael Hogan during his final year at GlamorganImage source, Huw Evans picture agency
Image caption,

Michael Hogan was the leading wicket-taker in Australian domestic cricket over a five-year period without winning international recognition

Glamorgan great Michael Hogan has disagreed with calls for change at the Welsh county.

Fast bowler Hogan, 42, retired from cricket this week after a spell at Kent having spent a decade at Glamorgan.

Ex-England bowler Simon Jones said "big changes" are needed at Glamorgan, while former player Tom Cullen has accused the club of "cronyism".

Asked about the criticism, Hogan said: "I'd have to disagree with it for the most part."

Speaking to Friday night's BBC Radio Wales Sport programme, the Australian added: "My last three years in that team environment were three of the best years that I've had at the club.

"I felt we were building towards something."

Jones, 44, spent more than a decade at Glamorgan during a career in which he made 26 Test and One-Day International appearances for England.

Speaking on Radio Wales this week, the 2005 Ashes winner said Glamorgan had "changed a heck of a lot" since he joined them in 1996 and that it had not been "for the better".

Glamorgan are looking for a new coach and chief executive after their latest disappointing season, following the announcements that Matthew Maynard and Hugh Morris are leaving the club.

Ex-wicketkeeper Cullen told BBC Wales Sport last month that Glamorgan have been held back by their policy of appointing former players - such as head coach Maynard, director of cricket Mark Wallace and chief executive Morris - to management positions, which he regards as "cronyism".

"From my experience they just keep doing the same things and not making any changes whatsoever," Cullen said.

"I feel like there's a level of mediocrity that just gets accepted year after year."

Hogan left Glamorgan in 2022 and had been due to retire before signing a one-year deal at Kent.

He was a huge fans' favourite with Glamorgan, where he claimed 654 wickets across the three formats.

Hogan said he had some "issues" when he decided to leave Glamorgan but added: "It was personal things with a bit of a relationship breakdown, but nothing to do with the team or anything like that.

"I think the club has decided to minimalise their investment in the players and go towards writing off their debt, and so the investment in the team during that time, when we just needed two or three more players to give us that next level, just never came.

"Obviously I've left and a few other players have left and you are left where you are and they haven't replaced those players, so the performance obviously goes downhill.

"When you get a few injuries like they have this year, there's no-one there to replace them.

"[But] I think through that period of time [before I left], that was three of the club's best years, particularly in the 10 years I was there, so I probably can't agree with some of those comments."

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