County men to watch - Tom Maynard

Amidst the chaos that saw Alviro Petersen appointed new Glamorgan skipper, Tom Maynard left the club. Though his time at Glamorgan was characterised more by rich potential than performance, fans were sad that a man of his stroke-playing ability had left. A move to Surrey could provide the spur Maynard, 22, needs to achieve more consistency, especially in first-class cricket. If he can manage that, his clean-hitting is such that the next World Twenty20, to be held in the autumn of 2012, is a realistic aim.

County men to watch - George Dockrell

Dockrell starred for Ireland at the World Cup, most notably dismissing Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. Just 18, Dockrell is a left-arm spinner who gives the ball a pleasing flight, as well as getting probing turn and bounce. But his biggest attribute is his relentless accuracy. Aided by an admirable temperament, Dockrell picked up 2/23 from his ten overs against Bangladesh. Somerset recognised his potential, handing him a two-year contract last year, and he could be a huge asset towards the end of the season.

County men to watch - James Taylor

Taylor may be tiny – just 5ft 5in – but so have many of the finest ever batsmen. The 21-year-old has excited judges more than any prodigy since Ian Bell, and with very good reason. So far he averages in excess of 45 in both first-class and one-day cricket, and has already displayed a relish for long innings in hitting two double centuries. The responsibility of being Leicestershire’s best batsman seems to inspire him and, after averaging 58 for the England Lions, how far away is a first Test cap?

County men to watch - Graham Onions

Onions admits he watched the Ashes with no little frustration – the man who dismissed Shane Watson and Mike Hussey with the first two balls of the day at Edgbaston in 2009 could easily have been there. Having not played since January 2010, Durham will need to manage his workload sagaciously. If they do, he could soon add to his 28 Test wickets, which have come sat a very respectable 31 apiece. That he remains in England’s plans was made clear when he was named in the England Performance squad for this season.

County men to watch - Amjad Khan

A bowler capable of generating reverse swing at great pace, Khan was handed a Test cap in the West Indies in 2009 – only Darren Pattinson trumps him in the ranks of unlikely England Test players over the last decade. Thereafter, he has slipped into anonymity, and the Danish-born quick will hope a winter move from Kent to Sussex can reinvigorate a career that risks being ravaged by injury. Sussex will need him to be a success to remain in Division One.

County men to watch - Owais Shah

Controversially released by Middlesex last season – made all the more acrimonious because he found out through a journalist – Shah moved to Essex. With his desire to rebuild his reputation, expect Shah to score plenty of runs, mixing classical shots with his own idiosyncratic ones, though he will miss the start of the season due to IPL commitments. At 32, he says he retains ambitions of playing for England. Though he averaged over 50 in all three forms of the game as an overseas player in South Africa during the off season, Shah, seemingly blacklisted from the England set-up, will need to score monumentally to earn a recall.

County men to watch - Alviro Petersen

Our second man to watch is new Glamoragn skipper Alviro Petersen.
Glamorgan played a high price indeed for his signing. After his appointment, ex-skipper Jamie Dalrymple left the club, director of cricket Matt Maynard resigned and his son, promising young batsman Tom, followed out the door. Even without the winter upheaval, Petersen already faced a tough challenge – joining a new club as captain is notoriously difficult. The best way to stabilise matters will be to make runs. Petersen, who scored a century on his Test debut in India last year, should bring solidity to Glamorgan’s top-order, and will probably bat at three.