Brisbane Heat’s BBL-winning coach and former Australian Test paceman set for new Cricket Victoria roles

Cricket Victoria is set to welcome two new recruits into their high performance department, one of which has just left a coaching position at another state, and the other, a former Test quick.

Former Australian paceman Clint McKay and Big Bash League-winning coach Wade Seccombe are in the box seats to fill Cricket Victoria’s new wide-ranging Big Bash League high-performance roles.

CV initiated the positions in the wake of another disappointing season for the Victorian clubs across both the men’s and women’s Big Bash Leagues, with neither the Melbourne Stars nor the Melbourne Renegades qualifying for the finals in either competition.

McKay during his one and only Test for Australia. Picture: Supplied

The performance managers will report to CV’s general manager of cricket performance Graham Manou and be attached to the state talent development and elite programs.

McKay, 41, is no stranger to CV, having worked on the Stars coaching panel as well as being a member of the national men’s side extended coaching staff.

The one-Test paceman was among Victoria’s most important players during its dominant period through the late 2000s.

Seccombe, 52, the former Queensland wicketkeeper and Ashes tourist, brings a wealth of experience and recent success, having led the Brisbane Heat to the most recent BBL title before resigning from his dual posts as coach of the Heat and Queensland Bulls.

Seccombe is headed south. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

The Renegades are separately on the hunt for a new BBL coach to replace David Saker, who departed his post last week despite having a year to run on his contract in the wake of the side’s poor campaign.

Former champion all-rounder Shane Watson and Victorian great Cameron White – both of whom captained Australia – are expected by industry sources to be targets for the role.

White and former teammate Dan Christian had earlier been figures of interest for the high performance spots.

White – an assistant to Greg Shipperd at the Sydney Sixes – knocked back advances about the T20 role but it’s believed he’s open to the idea of coaching the Renegades.

He played for the Gades from 2015-18 after being let go by the Melbourne Stars.

It’s understood a number of key figures in Victorian cricket are enthused at the prospect of him returning to a high-profile position in the state.

McKay and Seccombe would work with the Stars’ and Renegades’ respective general managers Blair Crouch and James Rosengarten, bolstering the cricket knowledge of the organisations as CV grows impatient with longstanding on-field underperformance from both clubs.

The performance managers will report to CV’s general manager of cricket performance, Graham Manou, and be attached to the state talent development and elite programs.

Originally published as Brisbane Heat’s BBL-winning coach and former Australian Test paceman set for new Cricket Victoria roles