Australia appoint Adam Griffith as bowling coach for World Cup
What's the story
With Australia putting the ICC World Cup title defense on priority, they have appointed Adam Griffith as their bowling coach. Further, they have appointed former England bowling coach Troy Cooley to work with the bowlers for the Ashes series in England. While the World Cup gets underway from May 30, the Ashes starts on August 1 with the opening Test in Birmingham.
Griffith
Griffith's second national coaching stint ahead of World Cup
While this would be Griffith's second stint as the national coach, it would be interesting to see how his bowlers fare in the World Cup. He has worked with Justin Langer at Western Warriors and Perth Scorchers, and is a well-known coach. While his first stint as the national coach was back in 2016, he was also appointed Tasmania's head coach in 2017.
Quote
"Adam and Troy have extensive coaching experience"
Speaking on their appointment, performance manager Belinda Clark said, "We reached out to the coaches working in Australian cricket and received expressions of interest from a strong field of candidates and through the process Adam and Troy emerged as the clear standouts for these secondments."
Cooley
Cooley has managed top English bowlers, along with Ashes win
Cooley's coaching career began with Tasmanian Tigers U-17 side. Following an offer from ECB in 2003, Cooley became the England bowling coach as they won the 2005 Ashes. However, he left the post in 2005 and was roped in by Australia, as England lost the 2006 Ashes. Following the 2010-11 Ashes, he became head coach of CA's Centre of Excellence at Brisbane.
Australia's form
Australia's late resurgence could be good news for both
The appointment of Cooley and Griffith comes at the best possible time as the fans are already witnessing a late resurgence by the defending World Champions. Having lost to India at home, the side registered a 3-2 win in the return series, while they are also on the verge of scripting another ODI series win against Pakistan in UAE.