After becoming Glamorgan’s Director of Cricket late last year at the age of just 37, former PCA Chairman Mark Wallace has urged current players to ‘accelerate their opportunities’ during the Association’s ongoing Futures Week.
Ex-Glamorgan keeper Wallace was proactive throughout a playing career that saw him appear over 500 times for the Welsh county. At only 21 years old, Wallace became the Glamorgan’s PCA representative, before going on to become the organisation’s Chairman from 2013-17.
Upon retirement, Wallace took up a position as the Association’s Personal Development Manager (PDM) for three of his local counties in Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Somerset. He has since returned to Cardiff to assume the Director of Cricket role on the back of experience he earned throughout his time as a player and at the PCA.
Wallace recently spoke to the PCA about his own career transition, as well as the advice he would give to current players who are planning their futures.
“I’m 37 years old, which is quite young for a Director of Cricket, and the reason for that is because I’ve been able to accelerate my experiences and my development through all the things that I have done,” Wallace said.
“I did a bit of leadership stuff when I was coming through the age groups and was also the PCA rep at a really young age which, looking back, was a real benefit.
“There are opportunities in cricket and it’s very easy to just sit on your hands and think that those opportunities are for other people to take.
“I’m a big believer that the more rounded you are off the field, the more it’ll help you on it. It doesn’t matter how old you are, there’s never a better time to start than now.”