Gloucestershire CCC - Why I've stood down as skipper - Alex Gidman
ALEX Gidman has stood down as captain of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club after two years in the job.
The former Wycliffe College pupil has announced the decision only days after the county finished bottom of Division Two of the LV=County Championship.
The County are already considering Gidman's successor, with it likely that the role will be offered to whoever comes in as overseas professional in 2013.
Gidman (pictured), who is in his benefit year, missed Gloucestershire's penultimate first-class game of the season against Yorkshire due to 'personal reasons' with experienced batsman Hamish Marshall stepping up to lead the side.
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Explaining his reasons for standing down, Gidman said: "I was no longer enjoying being captain, it's as simple as that.
"I found I was no longer as motivated as I used to be to do all the extra work the role entails and that is why I have decided to step down.
"I've given it my best shot for two seasons and it is now time to move aside and let someone else have a go.
"Professional sport can be a brutal environment and cricket is a results-driven business.
"Our results have not been good enough and the team has not improved as much as I thought it should have.
"As captain, I have to take responsibility for that. Leading an inexperienced group of players is extremely challenging and they deserve a captain who is fully committed to the role."
Ed Cowan, who had two short spells as an overseas locum in 2012, is the current captain of the Australia A side and would be an obvious choice to succeed Gidman in the role.
Chief executive Tom Richardson confirmed that the overseas player-captain route was one that the club would explore.
"The question arises about how to replace him (Gidman) as captain," Richardson said.
" We know we need to recruit an overseas signing for next season and one option we shall certainly explore is bringing that player in as our new skipper."
Gidman handed over responsibility for the Friends Life t20 competition to Marshall for this season and the Kiwi led a young side to the quarter-finals before they were beaten by Sussex.
But the side failed to reach the knockout stages of the CB40 competition under Gidman's leadership and won just three of their 16 championship matches.
Gidman has a year left on his current Gloucestershire contract and said he remains committed to helping Gloucestershire achieve their ambition of winning promotion in the Championship.
He hopes that being freed of the captaincy shackles, he will be able to improve on a season where he contributed just 528 runs at an average of 25.14.
"I will still be around to support the new captain and offer my advice if it is asked for," Gidman said. "I feel I have a lot of experience to pass on to the young players and a lot to offer as a player still."
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