Steve Waugh won't save us as coach
FORMER Test skipper Steve Waugh said today he was not interested in a coaching role but wanted a part in rebuilding Australian cricket.
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Former Test skipper Steve Waugh said Saturday he was not interested in a coaching role but wanted to play a part in rebuilding Australian cricket following the shattering Ashes series loss to England.
Cricket Australia said it would carry out a thorough review following the demoralising 3-1 series defeat to England, capped with an innings and 83 run fifth Test loss in Sydney on Friday.
Waugh, 45, dismissed any chance of taking over as Australia's coach, but said he was keen to do what he could to help get Australian cricket back to the top.
``My name generally comes up when there's a coaching role. I think I must be on a list that they go to,'' Waugh said on Saturday.
``I love Australian cricket. I want to see it be successful but my value is more of a mentor. I'm very busy with my philanthropic work and business and family and you can't do everything.
``But I certainly would like to help on the sidelines.
``The value I can add is I've seen Australia play in an era when we were struggling through to a successful era so I can see the ups and downs and maybe know some of the shortcuts.
``I do keep in contact with quite a few Australian players behind the scenes but I'd listen to whatever role came up.''
Waugh was speaking at an event to mark the 10th anniversary of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation's support of the Australian Sports Commission's Indigenous Sports Program.
The Daily Telegraph revealed Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland would ask Waugh, Australia's most successful former captain, to help run the rule over the state of the game in the country.Denial was the common theme at the SCG yesterday after England completed a 3-1 series win.Captain Michael Clarke denied Australian cricket was in crisis. Selection chairman Andrew Hilditch denied his panel had made mistakes.
Coach Tim Nielsen denied the team could have been better prepared, only for Clarke to admit his own readiness for the series had been compromised.
Coaches, players and officials were at cross purposes as fingers of blame were being pointed in all directions.
However, Sutherland confirmed the review would begin within weeks, as Cricket Australia looks for answers.
The main concerns are:
Hilditch's reign
HIS position is untenable. His contract expires in April.
Doug Bollinger, rated Australia's No. 1 fast bowler just weeks before the Ashes, was chosen for just one Test despite being fit. Nathan Hauritz, regarded as Australia's No. 1 spinner by the spinners themselves, was overlooked throughout. Ben Hilfenhaus was persevered with.
Hilditch, seemingly in a world of his own, denied the selectors had botched it, saying "I think we've done a very good job, the selection panel."
Clarke: 'no crisis'
IF it walks like a crisis and talks like a crisis, it's a crisis. Clarke said yesterday: "I don't think there's a crisis in Australian cricket at all.
"Our players are as talented and skilful as any side in world cricket. We have the talent and potential in that change room."This is probably as close to rock bottom as it gets as players we feel disappointment right now, but we do see potential.
"Individually I think we are as gifted as any team I've been a part of."
If the talent and potential is there, the problem must be the coaching? "I'm not blaming anyone for my disappointing series," Clarke said.
"I can tell you that right now. I've had all the facilities, all the needs to prepare as well as I can.
"I just haven't been able to execute my skills. We have no-one to blame.
"You have to look at yourself, first and foremost."
Nielsen's effort
ANY sport on Earth, if a team becomes rabble, the coach gets flicked. He is contracted until 2013 and says he cannot have done any more. "We've done our very best. We've done everything we possibly thought we could do," he said.
"The planning was there, it was just our inability as a group to do what we wanted with bat and ball."
Sutherland's role
THE CA boss will oversee the review into Australia's demise.
The involvement of ex players such as Waugh will depend on board approval. "We're bitterly disappointed at the result," he said. "This has been a bad series.
"I'm firmly of the view you can't expect to get back on top by doing the same things and just plugging away."
Our preparation
TWO Tests in India. One-dayers against Sri Lanka. Sutherland said it was wrong to suggest England were better prepared.
"To point the finger at preparation and suggest that was responsible is rubbish."
But Clarke thought otherwise.
"We've obviously got to plan and prepare better. For me, I could have done a lot more work against taller fast bowlers before I walked out to bat in Brisbane.
"Obviously easy to say, hard to do when I'm playing one-dayers in India and first-class cricket for NSW. There's not much time. But you've got to make time."
Improvement
NIELSEN keeps talking about improvement. But which players have improved in the last 12 months?
"I suppose it depends how you measure improvement," Nielsen said.
"If you look at the series results, I guess you could say none of us have."
Sackings
ASKED if Nielsen's job was guaranteed, Sutherland replied: "Tim's got a contract and he's doing a good job. Tim's fine. We've talked to Tim about things, they can't continue to go down the same path as they have. We need to look at different ways. Whether they're structural or personnel-related, they will be taken on."
Asked to guarantee Ricky Ponting's job as captain, Hilditch said: "We haven't got a Test series for about seven months. At the end of the World Cup, we'll sit back and review the position going forward."