Australia just had their most important decision to make since they were woken up by England and the World Cup pissing on them.
Did they select a bowling coach that was a former good ol boy in McDermott, Bichel or Gillespie?
Did they keep going with little known well respected first class coaches like Allister De Winter?
Or did they for the first time in their history admit that perhaps they are not at the forefront of cricket coaching and Allan Donald, who has just improved Tim Southee’s bowling and pace, might just be the best option?
They chose McDermott.
De Winter has done a brilliant job with Tasmania, they’ve just won the shield title, their little known bowlers have stepped up, and he seems to get the most out of players like Maher and Butterworth who were weapons this year.
Donald’s coaching record was a bit more up and down, but he was coming off his work with Southee and New Zealand, he even kept Oram together for a whole world cup, which means he is good with sticky tape.
McDermott’s record as a coach is not that brilliant. He’s worked with the Queensland side and academy, without the level of admiration or results that De Winter has, or without the international experience and results that Donald has.
Plus, McDermott has more baggage than a 1850s French Princess touring the world.
In his recent past there is a sex video scandal where he was blackmailed for reportedly eight months before telling the police.
Claims that he allegedly didn’t pay child support despite living the high life.
And the massive cherry on top is that he was the man in charge of a business that ended up owing people 40,000,000 AUD.
Yet, he was still picked as coach.
Good for him. Hopefully he brings Australia to glory and manages to get his real estate developing back on track.
Not only was McDermott given this job, but another good ol boy was promoted.
Langer went from batting coach to assistant coach.
I like what Langer says about batting, But he has been in charge of an under performing senior batting line up for 18 months.
His words might sound good, but the constant cheer of the opposition supporters when Australia are “batting” drowns them out.
Would McDermott or Langer be employed in their positions right now if Langer was a plucky shield cricketer who never quite made it and McDermott only played a handful of tests due to injury. Who knows.
I do know that it’s all beginning to feel like a job for the boys situation, and not for the first time there seems to be coaches in shield cricket (Shipperd, Arthur, Helmott, Berry and De Winter) who all seem more qualified for the jobs than Nielsen, Langer and McDermott.
Although we’d all like to see a Micky Arthur sex tape.
The enquiry to look into Australian cricket, that is run by former captains of McDermott and Langer, in association with Cricket Australia has so far got rid of the part time fielding coach, promoted the batting coach and picked a bowling coach ahead of at least two better options.
Australia was known for having the best and most sought after bowling coaches in world cricket, but could you imagine any other country employing Craig McDermott as their bowling coach? The ECB almost hired him as their bowling coach, and then they talked to him. Then they laughed.
It seems Australia cricket is in safe incestuous good ol boy hands.
Craig McDermott’s sex tape
cricketwithballs
