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Tim Nielsen quits as Aussie cricket coach
TIM Nielsen has quit as Australian cricket coach, claiming he feels like he has been kicked in the guts.
Announcing his decision he after Australia’s 1-0 series victory over Sri Lanka, Nielsen was upset when told he was forced to reapply for the position he has held over four years.
The Argus report into Australia’s Ashes failure last summer recommended a revamped coaching role when it was released last month.
“It has been a tough month,” said Nielsen, who signed a new three-year contract with Cricket Australia at the beginning of last summer’s Ashes series.
He wants to remain in coaching but will not work for Cricket Australia for the foreseeable future, believing a fresh start was important.
Favours for Nielsen’s position include former South African coach Mickey Arthur, who is now coaching Western Australia.
“I can understand where they’re coming from. We are looking to improve our squad,” Nielsen said.
“I’m disappointed because my role as Australian coach doesn’t just cover Test cricket.
“We’ve maintained our number one ranking in one-day cricket during the last four years I’ve been here, we’ve improved our Twenty20 cricket and made so dramatic changes there to play in the last Twenty20 World Cup final.
“I feel as though we’re on the right track. All of this has been brought to a head in that we played a very good cricket side in England last season and they outplayed us and beat us.
“That happens sometimes. Fifteen years before that it was Australia doing that to other teams.
“They’ve had to lick their wounds, now we’ve had a look at how we’re going to improve and the result is this.
“I feel good about the fact that whoever is given the opportunity has a group of players who have performed, who’ve had some success and I hope the place is in better shape now than it was maybe three or four months ago when it all happened.”
Nielsen was clearly upset with the way he has been treated, particularly finding out during the one-day series when the team was on tour in Sri Lanka.
“That’s the hard part,” he said. “I felt like I had been doing an interview for the job every four years.
“Because they’d changes some structure things I can honestly say I’ve been talking about and championing for the last little while, I would have appreciated an opportunity to work in the new system and take on the new role.
“But when you get beaten like we did by England, a very good cricket side, there is always fallout and Australian cricket had to make some changes. They’ve done that.
“I don’t hold any grudges about that but I also would have backed myself to do the job given the opportunity.
“Because of those things it the right time (to leave) I believe."
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said he respected Nielsen's decision.
“Tim has been national coach during a period in which we have had a long list of great champions leave the game and has been a strong support for new players coming into the side over that period,” Sutherland said.
“I was delighted when he agreed to renew his contract last year and had encouraged him to apply for the new, expanded and redesigned head coach role that the CA board approved last month after the tabling of the Australian Team Performance Review.
“However, I have spoken to Tim and understand and respect his decision to now begin a new chapter in his professional life.”
TIM Nielsen has quit as Australian cricket coach, claiming he feels like he has been kicked in the guts.
Announcing his decision he after Australia’s 1-0 series victory over Sri Lanka, Nielsen was upset when told he was forced to reapply for the position he has held over four years.
The Argus report into Australia’s Ashes failure last summer recommended a revamped coaching role when it was released last month.
“It has been a tough month,” said Nielsen, who signed a new three-year contract with Cricket Australia at the beginning of last summer’s Ashes series.
He wants to remain in coaching but will not work for Cricket Australia for the foreseeable future, believing a fresh start was important.
Favours for Nielsen’s position include former South African coach Mickey Arthur, who is now coaching Western Australia.
“I can understand where they’re coming from. We are looking to improve our squad,” Nielsen said.
“I’m disappointed because my role as Australian coach doesn’t just cover Test cricket.
“We’ve maintained our number one ranking in one-day cricket during the last four years I’ve been here, we’ve improved our Twenty20 cricket and made so dramatic changes there to play in the last Twenty20 World Cup final.
“I feel as though we’re on the right track. All of this has been brought to a head in that we played a very good cricket side in England last season and they outplayed us and beat us.
“That happens sometimes. Fifteen years before that it was Australia doing that to other teams.
“They’ve had to lick their wounds, now we’ve had a look at how we’re going to improve and the result is this.
“I feel good about the fact that whoever is given the opportunity has a group of players who have performed, who’ve had some success and I hope the place is in better shape now than it was maybe three or four months ago when it all happened.”
Nielsen was clearly upset with the way he has been treated, particularly finding out during the one-day series when the team was on tour in Sri Lanka.
“That’s the hard part,” he said. “I felt like I had been doing an interview for the job every four years.
“Because they’d changes some structure things I can honestly say I’ve been talking about and championing for the last little while, I would have appreciated an opportunity to work in the new system and take on the new role.
“But when you get beaten like we did by England, a very good cricket side, there is always fallout and Australian cricket had to make some changes. They’ve done that.
“I don’t hold any grudges about that but I also would have backed myself to do the job given the opportunity.
“Because of those things it the right time (to leave) I believe."
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said he respected Nielsen's decision.
“Tim has been national coach during a period in which we have had a long list of great champions leave the game and has been a strong support for new players coming into the side over that period,” Sutherland said.
“I was delighted when he agreed to renew his contract last year and had encouraged him to apply for the new, expanded and redesigned head coach role that the CA board approved last month after the tabling of the Australian Team Performance Review.
“However, I have spoken to Tim and understand and respect his decision to now begin a new chapter in his professional life.”
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