MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Cricket Australia (CA) is open to splitting the head coach’s role for its men’s team following Justin Langer’s exit, CA chairman Lachie Henderson said yesterday, conceding it was taxing for one person to coach across formats.
Langer, who guided Australia to their maiden Twenty20 World Cup in November and a 4-0 Ashes triumph against England subsequently, rejected a short-term extension and resigned this month.
Andrew McDonald has been appointed on an interim basis ahead of the team’s tour of Pakistan next month and is considered a front-runner for a permanent role.
“I think it is a very time-consuming role for one individual and maybe a more distributed method of coaching is the way of the future,” Henderson told ABC radio when asked if CA would consider separate red and white ball coaches.
“We are going for a single head coach to be installed in the near future. How it plays out after that will depend a bit on that appointment, their availability and how that works across all forms of the game in what’s going to be a really busy 12 to 18 months.
“It may be that person is not available for every single tour around the world over the next 18 months,” the CA chief said.
Former all-rounder Shane Watson has also advised splitting the coach’s role.
“There is a good chance they will split the roles as I don’t think it is sustainable that everyone does every single format for a long period of time,” Watson told the International Cricket Council’s show ‘The ICC Review’.
“There is always going to be burnout and fatigue in a team environment, especially now with COVID and bubbles and similar situations that are around,” Watson added.