Why Cricket Australia won't hire Warnie as a coach
He's considered one of the great cricket brains but apparently that's not enough for Cricket Australia to hire Shane Warne as a coach.
Warne wanted to be part of the Aussie staff for the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka in February, but 7News can reveal head office has rejected his offer, saying he doesn't have the required coaching certificate.
And a number of the game's biggest names aren't happy about it.
"You talk to anyone and they say Warnie has one of the best cricketing brains around", Dennis Lillee told 7News.
"So as a coach surely that's the main thing. I think he would make a great coach."
Steve Smith is under the microscope, there are calls for head selector Rod Marsh to be replaced and now Warne wants to help out in a support role in our coaching ranks.
But Cricket Australia has rejected him because his coaching credentials don't stack up.
One of our most astute cricket brains snubbed because he isn't part of the official 'Pathways Program'.
He certainly has the backing of Bill Lawry.
"Warnie is what cricket needs, he's probably the best bowler we've ever had", the retired batsman and commentator said.
"He's also a personality and cricket needs a personality."
It seems like bureaucracy gone made at a time when the High Performance program is in question.
"I counted the number of people out on the ground the other day", Lillee said.
"There was 11 players and 17 support staff. Does that sound a bit out of whack?"
Cricket Australia is searching for a caretaker coach for three T20 clashes, when Darren Lehmann and the nation's best players will be in India preparing for a four-Test series.
Justin Langer, viewed as Lehmann's likely successor, will be tied up coaching Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield.
That leaves the likes of Ryan Harris, Brad Haddin, Jason Gillespie, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Brad Hodge as the leading candidates for the post.
All six of those former players have more coaching experience and formal qualifications than Warne.
"We are speaking to a number of people about the prospect of coaching the T20 international squad against Sri Lanka as head coach and assistant coach, Darren Lehmann and David Saker, will be in India," a CA spokesperson said.
"At this stage no decision has been made on an appointment."
CA announced on Tuesday that Haddin and Harris will both serve as assistant coaches during a three-match ODI series in New Zealand that precedes the home T20 series against Sri Lanka.
Warne has a prickly relationship with CA high-performance chief Pat Howard, who has helped lay out a clear development pathway for aspiring coaches like Harris and Haddin.
Warne served as a spin consultant in South Africa two years ago, helping Australia's tweakers prepare for the World T20 in Bangladesh.
"There's no better person than Shane to help guide the spinners we select in that squad," Lehmann said at the time.
"We believe our national teams can really benefit from more specific skill-based coaching as and when it is needed."
with AAP
