Surrey skipper Mark Butcher has given his full support to new cricket manager Chris Adams who started work at the Oval today.

Butcher's own position had been in doubt following the sacking of his father Alan at the end of last season, but the former England opener says he is looking forward to forming a partnership with Adams.

He said: "I've met with Chris a couple of times in the last two or three weeks, making sure we create the ground work for our relationship going forward and that has gone particularly well.

"We've always got on anyway, so it's not as though he's a totally new person and we've never had any contact before.

"He's got a lot of good ideas and a lot of sensible ideas on the game of cricket and how to build a squad so it's very exciting that we've got him."

Butcher emphasised the feeling of a new era under Adams by reiterating the 'clean state' the new appointment has given the playing staff at the Brit Oval.

"The more I had the chance to think about his name when it came up, the more I liked it," he continued.

"So happily we're in a situation where he's here and everyone starts with a bit of a clean slate.

"I know we keep saying it but it's a great opportunity for young players to make their way and a great opportunity for everybody else to join together and get the Club back to where we want to see it."

Butcher went on to dismiss any potential criticism that Adams' leaping straight from playing to a coaching role would leave him without the necessary perspective on his new job.

"Sometimes having a bit of break away from the game is good for your perspective but one thing I know about Chris and is that he's always evolving, he's always looking to improve himself or the circumstances in which other people work.

"To me, he's a bit like a shark – he likes to keep swimming. He's one of those guys who brings a feel good factor to wherever he is – so it's very positive at the moment."