Cricket fan, 7, applies for vacant Yorkshire CCC head coach position - the county gives him a truly brilliant reply

A cricket obsessed seven-year-old has received a unique response from Yorkshire County Cricket Club after sending a chance application for the vacant head coach position at Headingley.

By The Newsroom Sunday, 6th November 2016, 1:39 pm Updated Wednesday, 16th November 2016, 5:15 pm

Isaac Zabrocky, who has Asperger Syndrome and suffers with ligamentous laxity in his wrists, penned a hand-written letter to Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon saying he was the right choice to replace outgoing coach Jason Gillespie.

Isaac, from Buttershaw near Bradford, wrote: “I am a Yorkshire member and go to every match I can.

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“I would like to replace Dizzy as coach. I think I can help us win.”

Yorkshire chief executive Mark Arthur spotted the letter and wrote a memorable reply, highlighting Isaac’s “strong passion” for cricket.

It read: “We have considered your application carefully, but believe that the opportunity may have come a little too soon.

“If you show as much enthusiasm in your school work as you do in all things Yorkshire cricket, then I’m sure you will enjoy a very successful future in whatever you choose.

“Just to keep you updated, we are working very hard to find the right person to replace Jason Gillespie (Dizzy). Rest assured, whoever is appointed to the role will be doing all they can to win cricket matches and silverware for the Club.”

Mr Arthur also invited Isaac to write his own match report from the press box at a match next season.

“It’s unbelievable that such a big club can care so much about one little fan,” said Isaac’s dad Rob Zabrocky, 37.

“He will definitely be taking up the chance. He has already been planning which match he wants to be doing it for, the Roses match. But we might have to see how busy it is.”

Mr Zabrocky said his son regularly plays a computer generated cricket game on his laptop and has an obsession over the sport’s statistics.

He said: “With Jason Gillespie leaving he was asking who is the next coach going to be. He got a piece of paper and wrote an application letter.

“We sent it in because we know a couple of people at Yorkshire to see if they would say anything.

“A week later we got the reply back. He couldn’t believe it at first.

“He sat down and read through it a few times.

“He gave it to me to tell him what he is going to be doing, and he has been bouncing around ever since. He is incredibly excited about it.”

Yorkshire welcomed Isaac as a guest to Headingley twice over the summer to meet the players and tour the pavilion.

Alongside his family, he is a member at the County and regularly attends first class matches as well as T20 and One-Day matches.

Mr Zabrocky added: “He has been going to Yorkshire for about three years and before that he used to follow it all on Cricinfo,” Rob added

“He used to sit and watch me watching it. He always had this obsession with numbers and statistics and loved that about the game.

“He does struggle with big crowds and noisy environments but one thing he has never struggled with is going to Headingley.

“There have been times where he has been down for weeks and then we have taken him to the cricket and the smile has returned to his face.”

Yorkshire chairman Steve Denison said the club were taken aback by the application.

Mr Denison said: “We have got to know Isaac quite well over the last year. He is a top lad

“When he wrote in we knew who it was and just thought it was brilliant that a seven-year-old would care so much about cricket.

“It did take us by surprise but in hindsight, we should have known that if someone was going to write in, it would be Isaac.

“I didn’t know Mark had written such a brilliant response but we mean it all as well. They are such a lovely family.

“It epitomises what we love about Yorkshire members, their passionate and incredibly committed.”

Asked if Yorkshire considered Isaac’s application, Mr Denison joked: “Yes, definitely. I would have him top of the list but Martyn Moxon over-ruled me.”

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