Western Australia high performance coach Ben Oliver frontrunner to replace Pat Howard

Western Australia fitness boss and one of Justin Langer’s most trusted lieutenants, Ben Oliver, has emerged as a frontrunner to replace sacked Pat Howard as Cricket Australia’s high performance coach.

Pat Howard (right) was sacked after the Cricket Australia culture review. Picture: Getty

One of Justin Langer’s most trusted lieutenants has emerged as a frontrunner for the Cricket Australia high performance job vacated by Pat Howard.

Western Australia high performance manager Ben Oliver is understood to be a leading contender for the post after Howard was sacked in the wake of the cultural review.

Oliver played three first-class games and 16 one-dayers for Victoria back in the early 2000s as a promising all-rounder.

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It’s understood Cricket Australia are in no rush to fill the position and may not appoint a permanent replacement until the end of the summer.

Australian women’s great Belinda Clark is in the chair on an interim basis but isn’t interested in applying to do the job full-time.

Ben Oliver during his playing days. Picture: Hamish Blair

Australia coach Justin Langer.

Oliver is one of Langer’s most trusted confidants from their days together at Western Australia and together the pair helped turn around a broken system at the Warriors.

Another of Langer’s allies from his days in the West is Queensland cricket’s high performance man Brett Jones, who is also understood to be under consideration, as is former CA executive Sean Cary, current CA operations boss Peter Roach and NSW Rugby League official and former Test quick Stuart Clark.

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Howard was axed a year before his contract was due to expire and he had signalled he was going to walk away.

However, Howard’s hard work has continued after leaving the building, with the Australian women’s team winning the World Twenty20 title in the West Indies.

Pat Howard (right) was sacked after the Cricket Australia culture review. Picture: Getty

Howard, a former Wallaby international, was heavily invested in the women’s program.

New chief executive Kevin Roberts has said the new high performance boss would have to have considerable cricketing experience.

“It is important that we give cricket a fresh start and we start looking forward so we can heal and take the game into the future,” Roberts said.

“I think it’s imperative that we do have deep cricket experience in the role.

“Pat had a much deeper experience of cricket than he was given credit for and had a lot of cricket experts around him, but I’ll be seeking the counsel of other cricket experts in determining our future direction.”

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