Progress made but work still to do

Last season:
Championship: 7th Div 2; NatWest Blast: 9th North Group; Royal London Cup: 8th North Group
In: Gareth Griffiths (Lancashire), Callum Parkinson (Derbyshire), Richard Jones (Warwickshire), James Burke (loan, Surrey), Dieter Klein, Colin Ackermann (both European passport)
Out: Jigar Naik, Ollie Freckingham, Michael Burgess, Atif Sheikh, Rob Taylor, Niall O'Brien (all released)
Overseas: Clint McKay (Aus), Cameron Delport (SA, T20), Luke Ronchi (NZ, T20).

2016 in a nutshell
For a while, towards the end of July, it seemed Leicestershire may have turned a corner. Strengthened by the recruitment of several experienced players, they had won three Championship matches and been defeated only twice. They were fourth in the table and only 11 points off the top. A promotion challenge seemed possible. If that sounds modest, it is worth reflecting on the lack of success they had endured in previous years. This looked genuinely encouraging. But then they fell away. They won only one of their final six Championship matches (and lost two by an innings), finished seventh and went backwards in white-ball cricket. Furthermore, they lost their highly rated head coach, Andrew McDonald, to a job in his native Australia. But it wasn't just the results that disappointed; it was the relative lack of opportunities provided to young players and the over-reliance on imports. For years the club had been able to answer the question "What's the point of Leicestershire?" by pointing to the impressive list of talent (James Taylor, Luke Wright, Harry Gurney, Stuart Broad and others) developed at the club. In 2016, even that argument became hard to sustain. The release of locals such as Jigar Naik, Ollie Freckingham and, to an extent, Atif Sheikh (who is from Derbyshire) just as the club signed Colin Ackermann, Dieter Klein (both on European passports) and the registration of Mark Cosgrove, a fair dinkum Aussie if ever there was one, on a UK passport rather underlined the impression.

2017 prospects
While it might be unrealistic to expect promotion or silverware, there is the prospect of tangible improvement this year. With the new coach, Pierre de Bruyn, promising a better balance between relying on the experience of older players and providing more opportunities for young players, there is no reason Leicestershire shouldn't progress in all formats and also see some players press for higher honours. The recruitment of Ackermann, a former South Africa U-19 player and the leading run-scorer in the Sunfoil Series (the South African first-class competition) over the 2016-17 season, looks especially significant, though Klein, a sharp left-arm bowler who joined at the end of last year, also looks a fine cricketer. In Callum Parkinson they have one of the most promising young left-arm spinners in the land, though spin played a peripheral role at Grace Road in 2016, while Ned Eckersley remains a potential England wicketkeeper-batsman, though a few are in front of him at present. Indeed, he may even come under pressure from Lewis Hill, who looks the better keeper at present. A top-half-of-the-table finish is certainly within them, as is progression to the knockout stages of a white-ball competition.

In charge
De Bruyn has rattled a few since his appointment. Making it very clear that he will not accept mediocrity, he has challenged experienced players to justify their places and made it clear that young players will be given an opportunity. There have been grumblings under the surface, though, with some feeling his approach is a little too abrasive. And you really don't have to go very far in Leicester to find an example of clubs where senior players forced a manager into an impossible position. A tough opening game against a strong Nottinghamshire may provide an early test to dressing room morale. Certainly his relationship with his captains - Cosgrove in the Championship and Clint McKay in white-ball cricket - will be key. Graeme Welch, the assistant coach, and John Sadler (2nd XI) complete the coaching line-up, while the chief executive, Wasim Khan, has assured supporters he will remain with the club despite murmurs that he could be lured elsewhere.

Key player
Nobody bowled more overs for Leicestershire across the three competitions in 2016 than McKay. He played all but one Championship match, all but one T20 match and every Royal London match, finishing as the most economical regular seamer in both white-ball formats and the only man at the club to claim 50 wickets in the Championship. While the willing Ben Raine and apparently ageless Charlie Shreck will continue to lend admirable support, Leicestershire will lean heavily upon McKay's broad shoulders. It's quite a burden for a 34-year-old who only played T20 cricket during the Australian season. The other fear is that McKay's fairly laidback approach may jar with de Bruyn's somewhat intense attitude, so it will be fascinating to watch how their relationship develops and whether a harmonious environment can be built in which players can develop without distraction.

Bright young thing
In Zak Chappell Leicestershire have a gem. A 20-year-old allrounder of England potential, Chappell is a tall fast bowler with the ability to generate impressive pace and an attractive strokemaker who was good enough to set a batting record on debut (the highest score - 96 - by a Leicestershire No. 10). He is already gaining avaricious looks from other counties.

ESPNcricinfo verdict
Leicestershire don't necessarily have to win trophies to fulfil a valuable function for English cricket. As long as they are providing opportunities for young players and at least competing on the pitch, they justify their position in the grand scheme of things. Quite rightly they have aspirations to achieve more than that. They have made some progress over the last two years, but there is a huge distance still to travel. Given sustained dressing room morale, this year should provide evidence of further improvement, but few will be expecting them to be celebrating silverware by the end of September.

Bet365 odds: Specsavers Championship: 14-1; NatWest Blast: 20-1 ; Royal London Cup: 33-1