Australia’s spin bowling coach, Sridharan Sriram has decided to pull out of the national team’s historic tour of Pakistan next month. Sridharan has been working with the Australian national team since 2016 and according to details, he has decided to fly back to India for the duration of the series between Pakistan and India. It is still unclear what led Sriram to pull out of the tour.
This is a major blow to Australia as they were already light in the coaching department after the resignation of head coach Justin Langer a few weeks ago. The services of Sriram were crucial due to the spin-friendly conditions on offer in Pakistan. According to reports, Australia are looking at a number of options for an interim spin bowling coach.
The spokesperson of Cricket Australia (CA) has revealed that they are in contact with former New Zealand captain, Daniel Vettori to work as the interim spin bowling coach for the tour of Pakistan. While no deal has been reached between CA and Vettori, it is highly likely that the former Kiwi spinner will accept the role and accompany the team on the tour.
Vettori is one of the most sought-after coaches in franchise cricket all around the world. He also served as Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach between 2019 and 2021. He was also part of Australia’s setup for a brief period before their tour of India in 2017.
The historic tour is set to commence on 4 March as the two teams face off in the first Test match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The tour comprises 3 Tests, as many ODIs and one-off T20I. This will be Australia’s first tour of the country in 28 years.