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Greg Chappell’s own retirement left a major void in Australian cricket, but he’s determined to maintain the country’s high standing in his new role overseeing the emergence of the next generation.
Chappell will be head coach at the Australian Centre of Excellence for the next three years, developing the players and coaches who will help the world’s best side enter the next decade and beyond.
It is likely to be a position lacking the scrutiny and pressure of one of his previous jobs as coach of India from 2005-07.
But there will be no ease in responsibility for Chappell, 60, whose own playing retirement in 1984, along with those of Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh, preceded Australia’s struggles in the mid-1980s.
Chappell today said his role would be an important one given the current rebuilding of the Australian team following the retirements of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill over the past two years.
“It’s a great opportunity for me, an exciting time for Australia cricket,” he said in Melbourne.
“We’ve had a magnificent era that is probably coming to a close.
“We have seen the retirements of some fabulous cricketers in the last little while and no doubt there’ll be a few more in the next little while.
“The opportunity to work with the next generation of Australian cricketers with some of the best cricket coaches in the world … will be an important part of this new era of cricket.”
Cricket Australia hadn’t appointed a permanent head coach at the centre following Tim Nielsen’s posting as Australian coach last year, with former Tasmanian coach Brian McFadyen filling the role on an interim basis.
Chappell previously coached South Australia for five years and had a tumultuous two years in India, where he quit after the side was knocked out of last year’s World Cup.
He then worked at the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s Centre of Excellence and is expected to start in his new role later this year.
He said he had no ambitions to coach at international level again and considered this posting his last full-time job in the sport.
Chappell played 87 Tests for 7,110 runs from 1970-84 and captained his country 48 times.
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