Cricket Australia (CA) is implementing a new role for a national pace-bowling coach to oversee the management of fast bowlers across international and domestic programs. This move aims to prevent the spate of injuries that have plagued Australia’s quicks and ensure a more coordinated approach to their handling.
The new role, based in Brisbane, was conceived before the recent limited-overs tour of the UK, where six fast bowlers were injured and six others were unavailable. It comes amid a debate within Australian cricket about the suitability of the current contracting model for top male cricketers in the era of franchise cricket, with the management of fast bowlers being a key concern.
Daniel Vettori, Australia’s current bowling coach, will continue in that position while traveling with the team. The new role will primarily focus on managing contracted fast bowlers, as well as Under-19 and Australia A quicks. However, the successful candidate will also tour with the men’s international side at various stages.
Australia’s fast-bowling stocks have traditionally been a strength, but the reliance on Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood in all formats, coupled with recent injuries to the next generation, has highlighted the need for effective management of the next generation.
The injuries on the UK tour included side strains, soft tissue injuries, and back stress fractures, which have become common themes among Australia’s fast bowlers. Cameron Green has become the fourth Australian fast bowler to undergo significant spine surgery to stabilize vertebrae in his back and prevent future stress fractures.
The injuries led to the selection of West Australian youngster Mahli Beardman for the UK tour despite his limited experience, raising concerns among state associations. CA and the state associations have had friction over the management of fringe fast bowlers in recent years, as the demanding international schedule requires more players than ever before.
The new pace-bowling role is designed to be a central point under head coach Andrew McDonald to coordinate an approach to managing Australia’s current and next generation of quicks. It will involve performing a lead role in case management, load planning and monitoring, off-tour preparation, and individual skill development of CA-contracted pace bowlers and pace bowlers of national interest.
CA currently has nine contracted fast bowlers among a list of 23, excluding pace-bowling all-rounders. However, there is a belief within Australian cricket that the current model of offering up to 24 central contracts is outdated. Some argue that the men’s team would be better served by contracting 30-plus players initially each year and carefully tailoring their playing and preparation schedules to avoid injuries and situations like the one that arose in the UK.
