Middlesex Cricket is delighted to announce that young left-arm pace bowler Tom Barber has signed a professional contract with the club until the end of the summer.
Barber, 21, joined up with Middlesex and the MCC Young Cricketers over the winter and has since been training with the playing squad and working closely with the club’s Assistant Head Coach and Fast Bowling Coach Richard Johnson.
Formerly on Hampshire’s books, Barber made two List-A appearances for the Southampton based side in 2014, most notably picking up the wickets of Kane Williamson and Andrew Gale in consecutive balls on his Royal London One-Day Cup debut against Yorkshire in August 2014.
In 2013 Barber broke into the England under-19 side, making six appearances for the young Lions, three away on tour in South Africa and three at home against Bangladesh that year.
Since leaving Hampshire at the end of 2015, Barber has represented his home county of Dorset in both the Minor Counties Championship and Trophy, where he worked with former Essex cricketer Paul Prichard. Prichard was so impressed with the young seamer that he recommended him to Middlesex’s Head Coach Richard Scott late last summer.
That referral led to Barber being invited in to train with Middlesex over the winter and being invited to join the MCC Young Cricketers. The work he has done with Middlesex and the MCC YC's impressed to such an extent that today he agreed terms on a professional contract with the club.
Speaking of Barber signing for Middlesex, Richard Johnson commented…
“Since I began working with Tom I have been hugely impressed with him in all areas. He is focused and has a great attitude towards learning and to improving his game. He is extremely hard-working and committed, has bags of potential and possesses the ability to swing the ball at good pace.
I’ve been working closely with him all through the winter, and we’ve been working hard on making his action more consistent. Whilst he’s not yet the finished article he has a huge amount of potential and has all the attributes to become an outstanding pace bowler.”
On signing professional terms with Middlesex, Barber himself commented…
“I’m absolutely delighted to have signed for Middlesex. I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
