Who would you want to lead Australia cricket out of the doldrums?

ChefMan21

Club Cricketer
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
As the title says, what would you do and who would you have? This is how I would structure it - at least for the moment. Processes will take far longer to plan.

Director of Cricket - Allan Border

National Development Manager - Rod Marsh

Selection Panel:
Chairman - Greg Chappell
John Benaud
Shane Warne
Stuart Law
Ashley Giles

National Talent Manager - Kiran More

Head Coach Centre of Excellence - Troy Cooley
Fielding Coach - Mike Young
Batting Coach - Dene Hills
Spinners Coach - Abdul Qadir and Saqlain Mushtaq (part time)
Fast Bowling Coach - Dennis Lillee and Wasim Akram (part time)

National Coach - Steve Rixon
Consultant/Assistant Coach - Bob Simpson
Team Manager - Darren Lehmann
Batting Coach - Justin Langer
Fast Bowling Coach - Dennis Lillee and Wasim Akram (part time)
Spin Bowling Coach - Abdul Qadir and Saqlain Mushtaq (part time)
Fielding Coach - Paul Collingwood
Fitness Coach - not sure. Would like to see some outside the box thinking here. Such as a Nordic Skiing coach or a triathlon coach given their levels of fitness.


I'd like Allan Border to set the direction for Australian Cricket. He is tough, uncompromising and has a good cricket brain. Just what we need.

Rod Marsh to serve as the National Development Manager. This role is to identify areas for the development of cricket, such as new local teams and areas, funding allocations, investment into academies and coaches etc etc.

Selection panel is varied in it's experience but quite strong I think. Chappell hasn't really seen anything he has implemented through, and as such I would keep him for the next 3 - 5 years. Benaud has been critical of the current bunch of selectors for a long time, and was part of the group that brought us Shane Warne and his peers. Judging by his comments about Hauritz, who he called "a bit pedestrian", it would seem he wants winners and quality not average players in the side. Get him in there! Warne and Law are both just retired from Australian cricket, and both have good cricket brains. Ashley Giles brings an outsiders perspective and was part of the group that reinvented England.

The National Talent Manager position is now Kiran More's, leaving Chappell to focus purely on the national side. Kiran More was one of the main characters who removed a lot of the old, politically attached players and the established players from the Indian side and reinvented them into the best side in world cricket. Such as Ganguly. He is just the guy we need to restructure Australian cricket. He's THE priority signing in my opinion. His role will be to work as the middle man between the selection panel, the Centre of Excellence and the State sides.

Selection of the side will be based on a vote system, with the selection panel, coach, captain and National Talent Manager all getting one vote each for a total of eight votes. To avoid ties, members will alternate with one member having two votes each game to use as and when needed. For example, it might be the coach who has two votes while the rest have one one game, then the next game it might be a member of the selection panel with two.

Coach is Steve Rixon. Often regarded as the best coach never to coach Australia, I think he is just the man for the job. He's experienced, old school and successful. Nielsen got picked over him, so him being appointed might just be a chance for him to exact cold, sweet revenge. I'd like him to be assisted by Bob Simpson who can act as a consultant as and when needed. That's two old school, highly respected and hugely successful coaches leading the way. There is still the modern influences from others, but it's back to basics here.

The rest is pretty self explanatory. Two part time spin and two part time quicks coaches - one to work with the leggies one for the offies; one for the lefties one for the righties. Three of them are foreign for more outside perspective. Lillee is supposedly the best fast bowling coach in the world, while Akram is meant to be no slouch either. Justin Langer to stay as batting coach until the next Ashes for some continuity, along with Young and Cooley who are regarded extremely highly in cricketing circles, strength and conditioning coach to be from outside of cricket, but with an emphasis on fitness. We may not be the most technically gifted team around but we will be the fittest team around. Kind of like South Africa in 1995 in the Rugby World Cup. Cooley and Langer might be controversial to fans, but if the cricketing minds that be think they are the best then you employ the best. Fans don't count in this case as it's not them who has being coached by them and as such their opinions don't matter. When the players and non players say the same thing you listen. Besides, coaches can only teach you so much. It's the players that have to execute it. Collingwood to be the full time national fielding coach with support from Young as needed. Lots of coaches. That's a problem for some but I think we have forgotten the basics. They need to be taught how to play cricket again. Hire the best and train the sh*t out of them. Just like Bob Simpson did.

I know there will be some conjecture about foreigners being part of the group, but I think that's a really narrow minded view to have in my opinion. Almost every successful team in the world employs not just locals but foreigners to do the job. Hire the best guys available. Some will also say that you lose patriotism having foreigners. That's crap. If the players for our national side have no heart or passion for this country and are using this as a free meal ticket then they shouldn't be playing. If the foreigners undermine us sack them and drag their names through the mud. Also they may not want to base themselves in Australia. Fine. You start with the best guys around, find out if they are interested and then move on when they aren't. Pretty simple huh? I planned for that anyway by having a second coach, larger selection panel and the like.

These names are only hypotheticals and I have no real say anyway... But that's what I want. Happy to discuss.
 

barmyarmy

Retired Administrator
Joined
Mar 12, 2003
Location
Edinburgh
Is there another Ashley Giles? :p
That one's a bit left field. Can't see them taking too well to Colly as a fielding coach either.
You've also missed quite an important player in all this; the captain.
 

ChefMan21

Club Cricketer
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
Is there another Ashley Giles? :p
That one's a bit left field. Can't see them taking too well to Colly as a fielding coach either.
You've also missed quite an important player in all this; the captain.

LOL! I know it's a little left field. What I wanted though is a few people who have been part of a rebuilding process and ideally a fresh, recently retired player that can bring an outsider's perspective. Giles fits the bill perfectly. Colly would be perfect as fielding coach I think. He has only just retired from Tests, has been part of a current team who has been in the process of rebuilding, is an outstanding fieldsman and has a really good head on his shoulders. That's a golden opportunity if I've ever seen one. If he - or any foreigner for that matter - is interested and has the skills, then I would love to have them on board.

As to the captain, my feelings have always been that Clarke is the right man to lead a young, exciting new generation of Australian cricketers. He's a really positive guy who is still at the right age to relate to the young guys comings. He wears his heart on his sleeve which I think is a good thing. His captaincy is innovative and exciting, and he knows how to motivate and use his players. Unlike Ponting's captaincy which leaves a lot to be desired. I didn't name Clarke because I was thinking more along the lines of support staff and management when naming names. I'll put up my future sides tomorrow so you can see what I want with players.
 

War

Chairman of Selectors
Joined
Feb 10, 2010
Online Cricket Games Owned
AUS need good tactical selectors going forward. Just like how AUS post 86/87 Ashes defeated with a crop of poor players, benefited from having a smart tactical skipper with real smart cricket brain like Allan Border. AUS need a selection panel like that who will get decision right @ least 90% of the time (since they wont always please fans).

When i think around AUS blokes like Border, Taylor & Warne (although at times their commentary in the Ashes has been cringeworthy), Bobby Simpson, hell even veteran respected writers like Jim Maxwell & Mike Coward would be worth a shout.

Cant be picking people like Hilditch, Hohns who have average test careers who have questionable cricket brains.


But fair ideas Chefman. Dont think AUS need the foreign help from guys like Kiran Moore (who is that??), Akram (with guys like Fleming, Gillespie, Kasper all in commentary boxes around the world), Giles, Collingwood (who will still be playing cricket for ENG in T20s & ODIs). Maybe they could use some outside help with coaching spin from the ground up however, since Warne cant do everything.

Also at this stage i'm not to into this whole planning long term for the 2013 Ashes. Cricket for AUS doesn't revolve around that series, although its the biggest rivalvry. For the majority of the 2000s & 1990s when the Ashes was a dud serious S Africa & India have been AUS biggest competition & AUS never planned 2 years in advanced for those series.

Fact is AUS need to take it one series at a time & bring in new players slowly. Starting with the SRI & SA tour & 2011/12 home series vs IND.
 

ChefMan21

Club Cricketer
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
And this is what I want for players.

Post series for Sri Lanka, this is what I think the make up of the Australian sides should look something like:

Test:
Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Ponting (c)
Clarke (vc)
Ferguson
Haddin
Smith
Johnson
Bollinger
Copeland

Ponting goes to 5 but keeps the captaincy until retirement. I'm making him a Test player only, due to his age and impending retirement. At least then he can focus on just that. I'd be tapping him on the shoulder in 18 months time if he doesn't retire before then. If he doesn't regain form in the next 12 months he is gone, with either O'Keefe or another quick coming in. Can be either another rookie depending on development, or someone like Siddle. Alternatively a batsman. Whoever is best for the team. Johnson, Watson and Bollinger to guide Copeland, while the experienced batsman to guide Khawaja, Hughes, Smith and Ferguson. Khawaja to stick with Test cricket early in his career.

ODI: (post World Cup)
Watson
Paine (vc)
Clarke (c)
M. Hussey
White
Ferguson
Smith
Johnson
Bollinger
Copeland
Starc

Paine is captain in waiting for the national sides post Ponting and Clarke, and as such needs to work under at least one of them. Smith will be the next Australian VC and then Captain, so I would like him to have some input here. Plenty of experience in the side, but with Ferguson, Copeland, Smith, Paine and Starc to inject youth. No Haddin as I think we need to get Paine ready for Test cricket. Same with the other youngsters.

T20:
Warner
White (c)
Hodge
Haddin
Hussey
Smith (vc)
O'Keefe
Hastings
Siddle
Starc
George

White to captain the side, with experienced backup in the likes of Hussey, Hodge and Haddin. Smith to do his apprenticeship under this group. T20 cricket requires innovative captaincy and good bowler rotation even more than other forms, given it's intensity and speed, so that will hold him in good stead for ODI and Test cricket captaincy. Still plenty of experience in the batting. But two of the bowlers are young and raw. Here is where they rely on themselves with not much experienced backup and to learn to bowl good line and length themselves. This is the deep end where they learn the most. Backed this theory up by giving six recognised bowlers + White. Can't think of two better captains (White and Clarke) or two better players (Hussey and Haddin) to encourage them along either. T20 cricket doesn't mean much, yet they are competitive athletes who won't enjoy losing or being taken for 12 runs an over. Hopefully.

Australia A (4 Day)
Maddinson
Lynn
Marsh
Bailey
White (vc)
Paine (c)
O'Keefe
Starc
Copeland
Hazlewood
George

Young openers, but one of the two will probably be the next Australian opener post Watson. Hopefully they will develop patience here. Similar plan with the bowling attack as the T20 side in that they have to rely on themselves. Even less support here than in the T20 side, which could be a good thing. It's a chance for them to develop some initiative, leadership skills and to form a bond together so that come making the Test and one day side, they can out think a batsman and stick to a plan, as well as to develop a kinship amongst each other. Given that it's the four day side, they will learn a lot about each other - both from a cricketing perspective and a personal perspective. I don't mind if they lose games because that will develop character which I hope will come in handy during Tests. Paine gets the side as his own with support from White. Made sense to me since he will most likely have (hopefully) that bowling attack as his in the Test side when he is captain. Best he figures out what they can and can't do early in their careers and to develop a relationship.

Australia A (50 Over)
Paine (c)
Warner
Marsh
M. Marsh
White (vc)
D. Hussey
O'Keefe
Siddle
Hilfenhaus
Starc
Copeland

Much more experienced lineup than the four day side. Brought in Mitchell Marsh as I think he is a gun. Only want him in the one day side as I think the four day game is too much for him at this stage and T20 may make him develop bad habits. Once he is a bit more mature and his game is well developed he can join the other sides. Here he gets a good taste of high quality cricket around good, experienced players in a reasonable time. A bit more guidance in the bowling attack this time. Paine is captain again.

Australia A (T20)
Maddinson
Warner
Marsh
Paine (c)
White
O'Keefe
Smith (vc)
Hastings
Harris
Hazlewood

I want Maddinson to learn to attack from the outset here as opposed to the four day game where he can learn patience. That's a good ability to have in Test cricket for various situations. Smith is VC. Good time for him to work with and under Paine since he is Paine's heir apparent as the Australian test captain. Long batting lineup given the lack of bowlers. Harris and Hastings to guide Hazlewood. The three H's still form a pretty good attack. Hoping O'Keefe and Smith can learn to bowl in tandem and to a plan since they are the likely next Australian spinners. I like to see young spinners in T20 games, because it forces them to think about taking wickets or holding down an end. Since they both will be working together, they can either form a plan where one holds down an end and the other takes wickets or vice versa, or they can both take wickets or hold down ends. You can get away with a little bit in four day games and 50 over games, but T20 highlights any laziness or mistakes tenfold.


So that's pretty much who I want and hope will be in the side in years to come. Any one of them can float between either side and some will play all forms of cricket in the national side given time and development. The main thing is I wanted to pick out one group of players and stick with them between each side for the next ten years to find that single core group for the Test side. I also want to develop thinking cricketers, as opposed to mindless drones. And the other thing I wanted to build was character and relationships in the group. Thoughts?
 
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