Former test paceman Craig McDermott has been appointed bowling coach for the Australia team, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Thursday. McDermott, who took 291 wickets in 71 Tests for Australia between 1984 and 1996, will replace Troy Cooley in the role after being preferred to South African Allan Donald and compatriot Jason Gillespie, among other candidates.
“It’s great to be back as part of the Australian team set-up again and I can’t wait to get started working with the bowlers and the rest of the team,” McDermott said. “We’ve got some challenging tours ahead in the coming months but I’m excited at the opportunity to be part of the group that helps get Australia back to number one in all forms of cricket.”
Australia slumped to fifth in the world test rankings after a humbling Ashes series defeat earlier this year, during which the English tourists hammered Australia’s bowling attack in all but one test. They tour Sri Lanka and South Africa in the southern hemisphere winter before hosting New Zealand and top-ranked test side India at the end of the year. CA General Manager Michael Brown was delighted to welcome McDermott to the coaching team alongside head coach Tim Nielsen and batting coach Justin Langer, whose contract was extended by another year on Thursday.
“His impressive record as an international player … combined with his recent record at the Cricket Australia centre of excellence and with the Australia team in Bangladesh, all impressed us that he was the outstanding candidate for this role,” Brown said in a news release.
