With the new season looming, club batsman and editor Phil Walker headed to Oxford to net with Gary Palmer, freelance batting coach and technical consultant to Alastair Cook.
Two years ago, England’s then Test captain, Alastair Cook, was out of form. One century in 15 Tests, on top of the loss of the one-day captaincy, spoke of a cricketer at a pivotal point in his career.
Enter Gary Palmer, the former Somerset allrounder turned freelance batting coach. Palmer was convinced he could assist. He contacted Cook’s longtime mentor Graham Gooch, who encouraged them both to meet. “Cooky was in a position where he needed some help,” he says.
You can contact the Gary Palmer Cricket Academy to set up your own coaching sessions. Call 07815 081744 or visit palmercricketacademy.co.uk
