The person Australia chooses to fill the vacant role of full-time national team batting coach could be the most important selection of the year with the Ashes looming.
This summer, Australia's batting resources have been rocked to the core both on and off the field.
Nearly 250 matches worth of Test experience have been drained from the line-up by the retirements of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey.
Not to mention the huge loss of batting mentor Justin Langer, and now the departure of his successor Stuart Law announced by Cricket Australia on Sunday.
With an Indian series beginning next month before the Ashes tour starts in July, the timing of the mass exodus could not be worse.
Captain Michael Clarke has already made it clear there is no way of replacing the intellectual property that has been lost.
But the next best thing CA can do is handpick a batting coach capable of bringing the best out of a new generation of batsmen.
Australia knew they were losing one of their most valuable assets when Langer left to take up the coaching role at Western Australia, but the loss of the former Test opener has been compounded by the retirements of Ponting and Hussey.
The batting line-up heading into India and the Ashes is almost entirely unsettled.
However, the right batting coach can help ensure young and inexperienced players build their skills, handle their new responsibilities and avoid being caught in the headlights when under pressure.
A permanent specialist is yet to be decided upon, but Dean Jones will work with the side for the first two one-day internationals against Sri Lanka starting this week.
Other former greats are likely to help out throughout the rest of the ODIs.
"We're yet to finalise the broader batting coach role so this opportunity to have some former players with us as specialists during the (ODIs) will be invaluable for our young squad," said coach Mickey Arthur.
"I thank Stuart (Law) for his outstanding contribution over the past six weeks - we are disappointed he is not in a position to consider the full-time role.
"We have quite a young ODI squad at the moment with a firm eye on the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, so to have the knowledge of one of Australia's best ever one-day players (Jones) with us for a couple of games will be invaluable for the group."
AAP
Tags: sport, cricket, australia First posted January 07, 2013 19:11:48
No comments:
Post a Comment