Published: Sep 02, 2016, 11:19 AM (IST)
Edited: Sep 02, 2016, 11:19 AM (IST)
Australia’s former Test pacer Ryan Harris has been declared as Australia’s bowling coach for the South Africa tour later this month. Harris, who retired from international cricket in 2015, will work under head coach Darren Lehmann and alongside newly installed assistant coach David Saker for the ODI tour that includes five matches against the Proteas and one against Ireland. The 36-year-old, who announced his retirement from playing on the eve of Ashes 2015, has made no secret of his desire to move into coaching and put his hand up to take over as full-time assistant coach when Craig McDermott stood down earlier in 2016. ALSO READ: Ryan Harris: Darren Lehmann a fantastic coach
According to Cricket Australia, Harris is looking forward to working with Saker, who has vast experience working with both England and Victoria. He stated, “I would have loved to have done it, but for me I’ve still got a lot to learn before I take on a role such as that. If I’m good enough, I’ll go as far as I want to go. If I’m not and I need to work on things, then I will. That’s the way I’ll approach it from now on”, added the former pacer.
He said, “You’re always learning. With the playing side of things, I was always learning until the day I finished. I think if you sit there and say that you know it all as a coach, you probably should give it up. Saker is a guy I look at as someone I can learn so much off and he’s had a lot of success. He knows the game and he’s got some great ideas around the game. So to be able to spend time under him is going to be priceless for me to keep learning.”
Harris will work with an inexperienced bowling group in South Africa that will be without pace spearheads Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who have been rested. James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile will also miss due to injury, while Pat Cummins has been slated for a return to action. ALSO READ: Ryan Harris and others with 50 Test wickets after making debut after 30
Saker’s appointment as McDermott’s permanent replacement comes after Western Australia assistant Adam Griffith and South African legend Allan Donald filled the role of bowling coach for the recent tours of the Caribbean and Sri Lanka respectively.
Harris, whose career was cut short before Ashes 2015 due to his ongoing knee issues, took 117 wickets in 27 Tests and is one of only five bowlers in history to have averaged less than 20 in his ODI career.
He’s taken on several coaching roles in Australian cricket since his retirement; he was named coach of the Under 19 Cricket Australia XI last summer and is currently working as an assistant with the National Performance Squad in Queensland.
Australia’s tour of South Africa begins with a one-off ODI match against Ireland on September 27 before a five-ODI series against the Proteas from September 30 to October 12.
