Behind the lens
‘Without a doubt, my time at Exeter and the support I received has had a huge impact on shaping me and my career.’
2025 marks ten years since cricketer Tom Abell graduated from Exeter with a degree in Sports Science and French in 2015. He made his professional debut for Somerset while still studying, scoring 95 against Warwickshire, starting a fantastic career which, to date, has seen him score more than 7,000 runs and take upwards of 50 wickets. To top this off, 18 months after graduation he was appointed captain of Somerset, aged just 23.
In 2019, Tom led Somerset to their first silverware in 14 years, securing victory over Hampshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup final. He has represented England Lions numerous times over the years and occasionally captained the side too. In early 2023, he earned a first full call-up for England’s white-ball tour to Bangladesh, before unluckily missing out due to injury. We caught up with Tom to get his reflections on the role Exeter has played in his success and to hear about his hopes for the future.
How did your experience at Exeter help you in your professional career? Particularly in terms of assuming the captaincy of Somerset so early?
“Without a doubt, my time at Exeter and the support I received has had a huge impact on shaping me and my career. The University and the High Performance Programme always ensured that I had everything I needed to succeed, both in the sporting and academic fields. The University and the sports teams I was involved with allowed me to grow and develop my game, and the training and the facilities were of such a high standard that I could really push myself and commit to the career that I wanted to follow, whilst also studying for my degree.
“I was fortunate enough to be part of some great hockey and cricket teams, and some of the people and friends that I made had a big influence on me and my leadership. You obviously have different experiences throughout the three years, being a new player to an environment in the first year, and then moving on to being more of a leader in your 2nd and 3rd years. I think Exeter gave me a professional environment and set up, which helped with moving into the squad at Somerset after my time at university.”
“Exeter gave me a professional environment and set up, which helped with moving into the squad at Somerset after my time at university.”
What impact did being a sports scholar at Exeter have on you?
“I think being a sports scholar first allowed me to always have the support of Nick Beasant, Former Assistant Director of Sport and the High Performance Programme. There were always clashes between my studies, hockey, cricket, etc. but they always prioritised my needs and wishes. On top of this, I was able to train as much as I wanted to around my studies, with unlimited access to the high performance centres, the gym, coaching and support staff.
“It also gave a slightly added responsibility to lead in the respective hockey and cricket teams and go about things in a way that was befitting of a sports scholar.”
What do you think the benefit is of choosing your pathway into professional cricket – via university – versus going straight in to the career at 18?
“I would say it is a very individual decision and there is no right or wrong. It certainly gave me three years to grow and develop. I probably wasn’t ready for a professional environment when I left school, however I certainly felt ready for the step up after my three years at university.
“I have always thought that sport can be a very short career with no guarantees, and it is hugely beneficial to develop away from your respective sport. I continually felt Exeter had my best interests in allowing me to get a degree and also earn myself a contract within professional cricket.”
“Moving forward, my dream is to play, and play well, for England. I got a call up for a one-day tour of Bangladesh but was ruled out through injury, so I would like to get myself back to that point where I am competing to get into that setup.”
What is your favourite memory of Exeter and your favourite place on Streatham Campus?
“My favourite memory would be the pre-season hockey weekend prior to starting my first year. Naturally, there was a fair bit of anticipation to start my university career and meet everyone from the hockey club. However, I was immediately taken by the sporting culture at Exeter and the drive to be the top hockey university in the country. The standard and the level of training was a step up from what I had previously experienced, but we had a lot of fun that weekend. My favourite place on campus was definitely the Sports Park, it had everything I could have needed or wanted!”
What do you think your greatest achievement is so far? What do you still hope to achieve in your career?
“For me, I would have to say my greatest achievement would be leading Somerset to the Royal London One-Day Cup trophy in 2019. It had been a while without a trophy at the club, so to be part of that team that won a 50 over final at Lords was incredibly special!
“Moving forward, my dream is to play, and play well, for England. I got a call up for a one-day tour of Bangladesh but was ruled out through injury, so I would like to get myself back to that point where I am competing to get into that setup.”
What do you want to do when you retire as a professional cricketer?
“I am still not totally decided on my next move when I finish my career. My degree was in Sports Science and French, but I am trying to use my time in the off season to learn about what I might like to do when that time comes. I like to think that possibly my leadership skills and things I have learnt from being in team environments might be beneficial, but I don’t have a definite set plan at this stage. Hopefully I still have a few more years playing yet!”
