CEO Matt Rawnsley says Worcestershire no longer view themselves as “underdogs” and are a team to be feared in white ball cricket.
The Rapids won the Vitality Blast in 2018 and narrowly were beaten in the semi-finals of the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Mr Rawnsley told members at the club’s AGM that expectations had changed ON and OFF the field.
Promotion to Division One of the Specsavers County Championship is an on the field goal for 2019 while the commercial team also have targets to deliver.
Mr Rawnsley said: “We changed our expectations on and off the field. We are no longer the underdog, we are no longer the minnow. We were the highest performing white ball side in the country last year.
“We now have a reputation. People will come here and they will fear us. People will come here and they will be the underdog.
“They will be under no illusions whatsoever of the battle they will face here.
“We need to raise those expectations. It is absolutely my expectation that we get promoted in red ball this year and we don’t just compete.
“We are not about competing. We need to win games. We need to lead from the front.”
Mr Rawnsley added: “Off the field our expectations have changed as well at a commercial level. We need the right people in the business to support those commercial expectations.
“We have invested in facilities and not just cricket – conferencing, events, kitchens and catering and the expectations are absolutely clear with my team that they need to deliver.
“If they deliver, we will be profitable and can re-invest in cricket and across the club.
“A lot of great work has been done across the club, cricket and non cricket, and lots more work has to be done.”
