Photo Credit: Cricket Tasmania
Cricket Tasmania is pleased to announce the appointment of Darren Close as our Match Official: Growth and Development Lead.
This new position in the organisation will be responsible for leading the strategic direction of Cricket Tasmania’s (CT) Match Official Program.
It will involve the creation and implementation of a Match Official Competency Framework in conjunction with Cricket Australia (CA) to support and increase the number of umpires and scorers in Tasmania.
Close will lead and manage a robust and diverse recruitment program and drive the continued development, education and upskilling of all match officials in the state, and he is excited to be taking this opportunity on.
“I’m thrilled to join Cricket Tasmania in coordinating the Match Officials department, as a proud umpire from Tasmania, I’ve had the privilege of gaining valuable experience at both local and national levels.
“This role presents an exciting opportunity for me to give back by supporting both current umpires and scorers and the next generation, helping them grow and excel in becoming the best officials they can be,” said Close.
Close began umpiring at the age of 12 and holds the Australian record (and quite possibly the World Record) for the Youngest First-Class Umpire at the age of 18.
He was a contracted umpire with Cricket Australia until June 2022, when he umpired 29 First-Class games, 30 BBL and 36 WBBL games, along with various CA 2nd XI and WNCL matches.
Close has a passion for education, and he has a 12-year career as an Assistant Head Teacher at Bartley Green School in Birmingham, United Kingdom and has been an Advanced Skills teacher at Don College in Launceston.
During this time, Close has also been actively involved in the training and education of umpires in the state.
Cricket Tasmania’s Head of Talent and Development, Greg Hechter, is looking forward to seeing Close in this role.
“We at CT believe the experience, passion and dedication that Darren has in the Match Official space is exactly what we require to drive the recruitment, retention and development of our match officials across the state.
“We recognise the importance of match officials as an integral part of our game, and Darren will be responsible for the creation of a High-Performance Talent Pathway, like we have for our players and coaches, which will produce the next Sam Nogajski or Mike Graham-Smith.
“Darren is likeable and a well-respected figure in the Match Official fraternity across Australia, and I believe he will have a significant impact upskilling our Match Officials, as well as ensuring they operate in a positive environment and enjoy great experiences while serving the game that we all love so much,” said Hechter.
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Cricket Tasmania, formerly the Tasmanian Cricket Association, oversees cricket in Tasmania, Australia, from its base at Bellerive Oval. It promotes and develops cricket through junior and educational programs, manages Tasmanian Grade Cricket competitions, and administers the Tasmanian Tigers, the state’s first-class team. The Tigers compete in the Sheffield Shield, Ford Ranger Cup, and domestic Twenty20 competitions.
