SYDNEY – Australia have for the first time named two Test cricketvice-captains — all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood– as they look to move on from a major cheating scandal.
The pair were chosen to back up captain Tim Paine via an unprecedented voteby team members and a final decision made by a panel that included coachJustin Langer and selector Trevor Hohns, Cricket Australia said.
“We believe the new leadership model will best support the captain,” Hohnssaid of the decision to have more than one Test vice-captain for the firsttime.
“It is a successful model used across various sporting codes around theworld.
“Our vision is to create great cricketers and great people, and we areextremely fortunate to have such terrific young men,” Hohns said.
Marsh, aged 26, will act as sole vice-captain behind Paine during thetwo-Test series against Pakistan in Dubai beginning on October 7 becauseHazlewood, aged 27, is sidelined by injury.
It will be Australia’s first Test tour since the ball-tampering scandal inCape Town which led to one-year suspensions being imposed on captain SteveSmith and his deputy, David Warner, who was also banned from ever holdinganother leadership position.
Hohns indicated the decision to name vice-captains was in part to avoidnaming a single person being seen as a likely successor to Paine, who tookover from Smith following the scandal when sandpaper was used to alter thecondition of the ball.
“It was not a process designed to find the next Australian Test captain,but to find two vice-captains who will support and help drive the team’sgoals and objectives,” he said.
Since the South Africa debacle, Cricket Australia has launched a number ofinternal reviews aimed at creating a more respectful culture and movingaway from the win-at-all-costs mentality blamed for the explosiveball-tampering row. – APP/AFP