Worcestershire Players’ Player Of The Year Daryl Mitchell has enjoyed a golden summer but is already looking into potential careers after cricket -and the County’s main sponsors Blackfinch Investments have been delighted to lend a helping hand.
Mitchell, as part of his Professional Cricketers’ Association personal development training, has spent a succession of half days when cricket commitments allowed, learning the ropes with Blackfinch – a leading provider of tax efficient investment solutions.
He was shown the workings of all Blackfinch’s various departements at their Chequers Close base in Malvern and the 33-year-old admits it was a beneficial exercice as one potential avenue to pursue when he eventually hangs up his spikes.
It was another example of the close link-up between Worcestershire and Blackfinch who have further cemented a partnership which in 2016 saw them as the County’s official shirt sleeve sponsor across all formats.
PCA chairman Mitchell, who has scored seven County Championship centuries this summer, said: “The experience with Blackfinch was brilliant.
“I was so lucky to spend a few afternoons working at Blackfinch and I managed to see all the different sides of a business which is clearly thriving.
“I spent a bit of time in internal sales, a bit of time in marketing, a bit of time in external sales, and a bit of time with the investment team as well which was really an insightful experience.
“When you get to my age, you have to look to the future and outside of cricket potentially. Cricket finishes for everyone at a certain point.
“It is a case of testing the water, seeing what I like, seeing what I am good at, and luckily Blackfinch, being the club’s major sponsors, were able to accommodate me and looked after me fantastically well. I am really thankful to them.
“If all goes to plan, I hope to continue playing for a few years left but your career can end anytime.
“We saw that with Alex Gidman at Worcestershire not too long ago who suffered a finger injury in practice and his career was over. It is really important to plan for the future.
“The PCA do a magnificent job with the personal development and welfare officers. Lynsey (Williams) here does a great job with all the guys putting in place personal development plans and we are trying to plan for the future whilst still focusing on your cricket.
“Opportunities like the one I had with Blackfinch can only be beneficial.”
Blackfinch Investments CEO Richard Cook said: “Daryl spent sent time with all our departments, from sales, marketing, the investment management team, the operations sides of things.
“He went out and about with our distribution director in the field.
“Hopefully it was good for him to see something outside of cricket as he makes that eventual transition into something else.
“It went well and was also nice for some of the cricket fans in the office to meet Daryl who has had a fantastic career and fantastic 2017.
“He worked with us over a period of six afternoons after cricket training and hopefully he has found that useful.”
