SACA chief Keith Bradshaw says postponing Redbacks’ head coach appointment, and making staff cuts, was unavoidable
The COVID-19 impact is giving SACA chief Keith Bradshaw sleepless nights, and also stymieing the fairytale return of Test great Jason Gillespie as the Redbacks’ new coach.
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Jason Gillespie’s Redbacks homecoming has been stumped by the coronavirus pandemic that triggered a South Australian Cricket Association hiring freeze and redundancies.
SACA chief Keith Bradshaw concedes the impact of COVID-19 is causing sleepless nights, having been forced to cut a quarter of his workforce and delay a replacement for Jamie Siddons as state head coach.
“We have placed the head coach position for the Redbacks on hold and will assess this on a monthly basis,” Bradshaw told The Advertiser.
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“We don’t know what the implications will be for pre-season training.”
SACA is waiting to determine if it will stage cricket next season starting with the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia October.
The timeline to appoint Siddons’ successor will be shaped by the extent of COVID-19’s impact.
Test great Gillespie is in self-isolation until next Saturday at a family residence near Normanville.
Gillespie had been in Cape Town taking Sussex’s pre-season camp before returning to Hove in England.
The English County season is in doubt due to COVID-19, meaning Gillespie returned to solitary confinement away from his family on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
The former 71-Test Australian fast bowler has a proven record winning titles with Yorkshire and the Strikers while developing international players, but remains contracted to Sussex.
SACA’s executive and staff have taken indefinite 20 per cent pay cuts in addition to redundancies, as brutal revenue savings sweep South Australian companies.
“Like other sports, we have been materially impacted by the effects of COVID-19,” Bradshaw said.
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“Sadly, it has meant a reduction in our labour force and we retrenched close to 25 per cent of our workforce.
“There were some very good people who left the organisation, which hurts, but staff have been very understanding.
“Yes, it keeps me awake at night.
“We put plans in place to shore up the business model for SACA.
“Tough times require tough decisions.”
Cricket officials world wide remain uncertain about future tours and schedules, while the T20 World Cup is Cricket Australia’s primary concern.
SACA’s $50 million annual business model will be compromised if it has no BBL fixtures, India Test, limited overs or T20 World Cup games to sell members.
“We have had to cut deeply into our operating costs for the next financial year given the impact not only to SACA, but AOSMA being a 50 per cent shareholder,” Bradshaw said.
SACA has a half share in the Adelaide Oval Hotel, which required a $42 million government loan to build but hosting no fixtures due to a pandemic could affect guest numbers.
Originally published as SACA chief Keith Bradshaw says postponing Redbacks’ head coach appointment, and making staff cuts, was unavoidable
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