Published: Jul 19, 2019, 03:52 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 19, 2019, 03:52 PM (IST)
Former Australia all-rounder Andrew McDonald was announced on Friday as head coach of the Birmingham-based team in the controversial new short-form tournament The Hundred.
McDonald this year became the first coach to secure an Australian domestic treble, leading Melbourne Renegades to a first Big Bash title, while also securing the Sheffield Shield and One-Day Cup with his native Victoria.
The 38-year-old will be assisted at Edgbaston by former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori. McDonald is the second Australian to be confirmed as a coach in the new competition, following the appointment of Simon Katich to take charge of the Manchester team.
ALSO READ: ECB admits mistakes in promoting The Hundred tournament
The five-week 100-ball tournament gets under way in July 2020 and will feature eight city-based teams from Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff, Southampton and two in London.
McDonald, 38, said: “The Hundred is a tournament that’s generating interest across the globe and the opportunity to be part of it as head coach of the Birmingham team is something that I’m relishing.”
ALSO READ: The Hundred is cricket’s Brexit: Wisden lashes out at new 100-ball competition
The England and Wales Cricket Board faced huge public criticism for suggesting the 100-balls-per-side competition was aimed at attracting a new audience as opposed to existing fans.
Questions have also been raised about whether there is a need for another short-form event in an already congested calendar, given the success of Twenty20 matches and the new competition’s potential impact on English cricket’s existing 18 first-class counties. A televised player draft for The Hundred will be held on October.
