Cricket Australia has appointed Andrew McDonald as the head coach of Australia across all three formats. The former Royal Challengers Bangalore cricketer has signed a four-year contract and will also be the selector during this period.
The 40-year-old had taken over from Justin Langer on an interim basis in February when CA had offered him a six-month contract only.
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However, Australia did well in the recently concluded Pakistan tour beating the home team 1-0 in a three-match Test series. He also earned praise from the Test skipper Pat Cummins even as the limited-overs side also fared decently in the absence of some first-choice players.
McDonald served as a senior assistant coach and bowling mentor of the Australia team since 2019, when Langer was at the helm. He also took over the job of the head coach during an ODI series in India in 2020, a five-match away T20I series against New Zealand in 2021 and the recently concluded five-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka when Langer opted to rest.
After being appointed the head coach, McDonald first lauded his predecessor and the players along with the rest of the coaching staff for the head work they put in over the last few years.
He described his journey thus far as pretty wonderful, stating that he was honoured to take over the new role. He credited the success in the T20 World Cup, Ashes and in Pakistan to the current leadership group involving Langer, Cummins and Aaron Finch.
“My plan is to build on the growth, depth and experience of the squad while working collectively with the group and across the game. There are many challenges in the short-term which I know excites the leadership group, the players and the staff. I’d also like to thank my family for their support,”
McDonald said, as per ICC website.
With Australia having big assignments in the next few months, followed by a home T20 World Cup, McDonald will be a key figure in their plans.
