Adelaide Cricket Club coach Shaun Seigert becomes high-performance director of England captain Joe Root’s academy

A veteran SA cricket coach has become high-performance director of England captain Joe Root’s academy and will run its Australian arm, calling his role a “once-in-lifetime opportunity”.

Shaun Seigert is in talks with Adelaide Cricket Club about his coaching future after becoming a high-performance director with Joe Root’s academy.

Seigert, who steered the Buffalos to their first two-day grade grand final since 2005/06 this past season, has agreed to run the Australian arm of the England Test captain’s training centre and lead several overseas tours each year.

Root launched the academy with his dad, Matt, in April 2018 and late last year they appointed Seigert, a former head coach of the Adelaide-based Darren Lehmann Academy, where Root developed while playing for Prospect in 2010/11.

England Test captain Joe Root’s academy has appointed Adelaide Cricket Club coach Shaun Seigert as high-performance director. Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Seigert called his new role a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” he needed to give his all to but was open about remaining at the Buffalos in a position requiring less face-to-face contact.

Last month Seigert missed day two of the Buffalos’ grand final loss to Kensington because he was flying to London for Root’s launch at Lord’s of the academy’s online coaching app and learnt about the result during a layover in Doha, Qatar.

“It was a bit like a parent not being there for their kids,” Seigert said.

“You need to be around players – you can’t not be there, it’s not fair on the players.

“(At Adelaide), we’re trying to work through ‘can that role change a bit?’

“If it can, I’m happy to still be involved.

“I’ve got to sit down with the club and go through it.

“The other thing is I’ve got a couple of kids and it’s not fair on them if when I am home, I’m training with Adelaide – I’ve got to weigh that in there.”

A fresh-faced Joe Root while playing at Prospect and with the Darren Lehmann Academy in 2010/11.

Seigert said Root’s coaching philosophies were very similar to his and the England star was keen to leave a legacy after he retired.

Root’s down-to-earth approach to mentoring youngsters has already made an impression on Seigert.

“When we were at Lord’s … a young lad had come down to meet him and Joe threw him balls at 5.30pm, even though he’d been there since 9.30am,” Seigert said.
“He is such a grounded person, he caught the train from Sheffield down to London.”

The Root Academy held clinics and camps across the UK last year and Seigert will be tasked with running a program in Australia and tours to countries such as India and South Africa.

“He wants players to have his experience and wants to see players come through his program play for England,” Seigert said.

Adelaide keeper Alex Eckland attempts a catch for Shaun Seigert’s side during its grand final appearance against Kensington last month. Picture: AAP/Brenton Edwards

In a statement on his academy’s website, Root praised the influence of training under Seigert in 2010/11 on his cricket career.

“I can’t tell you how much it improved my game,” Root said in the statement.

“I came home from the experience well-prepared for first-class cricket.

“That season I broke into the Yorkshire first team and the rest is history.”

Adelaide cricket director Damian Patton said the club was in preliminary discussions with Seigert about next season and it was “too early to relay what we’re going to do with any of our coaching structures”.

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