New Aussie batting coach Graeme Hick determined to find key to succeeding in India, England

GRAEME Hick moved to Queensland for the carefree charm of beach cricket but has now been tasked with one of the toughest jobs in Australian sport.

Graeme Hick will make his Aussie coaching debut in the home series against South Africa.

FORMER England batsman Graeme Hick moved to Queensland for the carefree charm of beach cricket but has now been handed one of the toughest jobs in Australian sport.

As Australia’s new batting coach, appointed until 2020, one of Hick’s key priorities must be to help improve the generally woeful performances on the subcontinent.

But Hick must also help them adjust to more pink-ball Test cricket and also counter the swinging and seaming ball in England, where Australia has not won an Ashes series since 2001.

“There are plenty of challenges ahead for me, but one of the most important is forming relationships with the Australian players and getting to understand what makes them tick,” Hick said.

“At different stages I will be a friend and a mentor and even like a father figure to them.

“As far as batting away from home, I really want to help the players adapt to the conditions better. They have to understand what they can do, and what they can’t do, when batting in places like India and England.”

Hick, 50, was a master English county batsman but an enigma at Test level in a career which spanned 65 Tests and ended with only a modest batting average of 31.

Graeme Hick will make his Aussie coaching debut in the home series against South Africa.

The Zimbabwe-born batsman decided to move with his family to Australia several years ago after being seduced by the Aussie lifestyle when he played a beach cricket series on the Gold Coast.

Hick cut his coaching teeth in the no-frills environment of humble Dauth Park at Beenleigh, Brisbane, where he helped out with the local club side.

“I was on a beach cricket trip to Australia and my kids came with me. We were having dinner one night, and one of the kids asked ‘why do we live in England?,” Hick said.

“That sowed the seed and we moved to Queensland. I spent a few months doing nothing but I knew I wanted to work in cricket.’’

Hick, who was appointed as Cricket Australia’s High Performance coach in 2013, will start his job as batting coach before Australia’s home Test series against South Africa in November.

Coach Darren Lehmann said he had been impressed with Hick when he worked with the Australian team during an ODI tour of the West Indies earlier this year.

“He is a very experienced player in all conditions and will bring a wealth of knowledge with him,” Lehmann said.