Cricket Australia have appointed former England batsman Graeme Hick as their new high performance coach.
Hick will replace former Lancashire star Stuart Law, who left the position to become the Queensland head coach, which was vacated when Darren Lehmann left to take charge of the Australians.
The 47-year-old’s job will focus on the development teams and he hopes to bring some stars of the future through the Australia A and Under-19s set up.
Hick appared in 65 Tests for England, along with 120 one-day internationals, but he says he does not expect his loyalty to be tested just yet.
“Over the years I have developed a huge amount of respect for Australian cricket and the Baggy Green,” he said.
“I am excited about the chance to work with Australia’s young talent and being able to assist in their growth and development. This is going to be a great challenge for me and one I am really looking forward to.”
When quizzed about working for England’s arch rival, he added: “I’m comfortable with it. I had a fantastic time and career with England and I’ve got a great opportunity here to help develop some of the younger talent in Australia.
“The Ashes will be interesting. Fortunately none of the young players I’ll be working with will be playing this year, but I might have to question my loyalties down the line if some of those players are representing Australia. I think I’ll feel quite proud if I’ve had an influence on a young player’s career.”
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