Greg Blewett to relieve Redbacks coach Jamie Siddons for next two Shield games while he takes personal break
South Australian coach Jamie Siddons has taken personal leave, with Redbacks great Greg Blewett to take the reins in the interim.
SA Cricket
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Jamie Siddons will stand down as South Australian boss for two games as uncertainty surrounds the Redbacks’ coaching structure.
Former Test batsman Greg Blewett will cover Siddons - sidelined by ‘personal reasons’ - for SA’s final Shield games against Western Australia starting Friday in Perth, then Tasmania from December 7.
Siddons was appointed Redbacks coach to replace Darren Berry in 2015 after Jason Gillespie could not commit to the role.
Test legend Gillespie was previously steering Yorkshire and linked with the England head coach position won by Trevor Bayliss.
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Gillespie - due to complete his current County deal with Sussex next year - would be SACA’s No. 1 target to steer the Redbacks and Strikers if Siddons is unable to return.
Gillespie will coach Adelaide Strikers this summer while the Redbacks’ next match after the break is February 17 against Western Australia in Adelaide.
All SACA coaching staff face a performance review at season’s end, and SACA has not specified the framework behind Siddons’ unusual mid-season withdrawal.
Siddons - who skippered the Redbacks last Sheffield Shield title in 1995-96 - will be given time to return if desired.
There is no suggestion Gillespie covets the Redbacks role given his heavy coaching and media commitments in Australia and England.
The Redbacks are saddled with a 17-game winless streak and sit equal bottom of the Shield table with Victoria.
Siddons admirably led the Redbacks to one-day and Shield finals in his initial two seasons as coach, but his men are headed for a third consecutive first-class wooden.
In further change, SACA has heeded the call from national chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns to give Alex Carey more leadership exposure.
Carey has replaced unlucky Jake Lehmann as skipper, with the left-hander dropped for the Perth trip.
In-form Glenelg batsman Liam Scott is a chance to debut.
Having completed Australian Twenty20 duty, leg-spinner Adam Zampa replaces Tom Andrews in a 12-man squad.
South Australia’s 12-man squad
Alex Carey (c)
Wes Agar
Tom Cooper
Callum Ferguson
Henry Hunt
Joe Mennie
Harry Nielsen
Chadd Sayers
Liam Scott
Jake Weatherald
Nick Winter
Adam Zampa
In: Scott, Carey, Zampa
Out: Jake Lehmann, Tom Andrews, Luke Robins (omitted)