{"id":77267,"date":"2022-04-13T13:48:45","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T13:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=77267"},"modified":"2022-04-13T13:48:45","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T13:48:45","slug":"australia-appoint-andrew-mcdonald-as-cricket-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=77267","title":{"rendered":"Australia appoint Andrew McDonald as cricket coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Sports Desk:<\/strong> Australia's top cricket body appointed Andrew McDonald as national coach on Wednesday, two months after the shock departure of Justin Langer.<\/p>\n

McDonald, 40, secured a four-year contract after winning praise for his performance as interim coach since Langer's abrupt resignation on February 5 shook the cricket world.<\/p>\n

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He takes on one of the highest-profile jobs in Australia, where cricket is an essential part of the country's identity and the team's exploits grip much of the nation.<\/p>\n

“It's an exciting opportunity, exciting role, and I am really happy, happy and grateful,” McDonald told reporters after being confirmed in the job by Cricket Australia.<\/p>\n

McDonald returned last week from the side's successful Pakistan tour where they won the Test series and the sole Twenty20.<\/p>\n

Langer left after failing to win the public support of key players including captain Pat Cummins, despite guiding Australia to a 4-0 Ashes victory over archrivals England and a maiden T20 World Cup title.<\/p>\n

Langer was also credited with overhauling a toxic Australian cricketing culture that led to the 2018 “Sandpaper-gate” ball-tampering scandal.<\/p>\n

In the run-up to Langer's departure, disgruntled players had complained anonymously to Australian media about his intense coaching style.<\/p>\n

– ‘Fantastic job' –<\/p>\n

By contrast, limited-overs captain Aaron Finch had praised former Test allrounder McDonald's “calm approach”.<\/p>\n

“He never seems to get flustered by any situation or result — it's all about the process and making sure your preparation and attention to detail is 100 percent,” Finch told reporters shortly after McDonald took over in the interim role.<\/p>\n

Cricket Australia said McDonald will be head coach in all formats but some white-ball series may be led by an assistant to alleviate the “significant workload ahead”.<\/p>\n

“I think he will do a fantastic job,” former Australia Test captain Michael Clarke said Tuesday on the eve of McDonald's widely anticipated appointment.<\/p>\n

He warned, however, that Australia would be under pressure to perform with McDonald, who had been an assistant to Langer since 2019.<\/p>\n

“To me, it looks like this is exactly what the players want, which puts extra pressure on them if they don't perform,” Clarke said in an interview with Sky Sports Radio.<\/p>\n

As captain, Cummins in particular would face “extreme pressure”, Clarke predicted.<\/p>\n

“He's had Justin Langer sacked, pretty much… he's come out and said this is what the players wanted,” Clarke said.<\/p>\n

Cummins has denied that a player revolt was behind Langer's resignation, saying he had tried to show respect for “proper process” by not intervening publicly to support or criticise him.<\/p>\n

McDonald, who has red hair and was inevitably nicknamed Ronnie, played four Tests for Australia with his biggest knock a 68 against South Africa.<\/p>\n

A right-arm fast-medium bowler and a handy right-handed batter, he also played for Victoria and South Australia before turning to coaching, starting as head coach with English county side Leicestershire in 2014.<\/p>\n

“Andrew has done an outstanding job as interim head coach and has had a positive impact on the squad,” said Cricket Australia executive general manager of high performance Ben Oliver.<\/p>\n

“I am looking forward to supporting Andrew and the team as we plan for an exciting period, which includes tours to Sri Lanka and India, a T20 World Cup and the home summer before an away Ashes series.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sports Desk: Australia’s top cricket body appointed Andrew McDonald as national coach on Wednesday, two months after the shock departure of Justin Langer. McDonald, 40, secured a four-year contract after winning praise for his performance as interim coach since Langer’s abrupt resignation on February 5 shook the cricket world. He takes on one of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":77268,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n