Cricket Australia (CA) has today announced that former Zimbabwean and English batsman Graeme Hick has been appointed to the role of High Performance Coach to be based at the CA Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.
Graeme Hick. Photo: ICC
Hick fills the role vacated by former Australian Test player Stuart Law who took up the position as Head Coach at Queensland Cricket following Darren Lehmann’s departure in June to take up the Australian Men’s Team Head Coaching role.
CA Executive General Manager Team Performance Pat Howard said: “Graeme is a highly regarded former international batsman who has been a consultant coach this past winter working with our AIS scholars. It is fantastic that we could secure his services full-time.
“His main role will be working with our development teams including Australia A, Under 19 players and those in our current pathway system. He will also provide a dedicated batting resource to all State players and Australian players who come through the Centre of Excellence at any time during the year. He will work closely with the State coaches in this regard.
“Graeme knows what it takes to compete at the top level and has had many years’ experience playing in different conditions, which will be vital to the development of our young batters.
“He will complement the specialist skills with Troy Cooley and Tim Coyle who are responsible for our fast bowling and fielding programs respectively, as well as all national coaching staff in our pathway system including Darren Lehmann.
“One of Graeme’s first tasks will be attending a batting forum that CA is running in October in Sydney. The forum will bring together a number for former Australian cricketers and current coaches and will provide information that will feed into the creation of a national batting program that Graeme will be charged with developing and implementing,” said Howard.
Graeme Hick said: “Over the years I have developed a huge amount of respect for Australian cricket and the Baggy Green.
“I am excited about the chance to work with Australia’s young talent and being able to assist in their growth and development. This is going to be a great challenge for me and one I am really looking forward to,” said Mr Hick.
Hick played for Zimbabwe from 1983-1985 before moving to England to pursue a career as a professional cricketer. He first played for England in 1991, playing 65 Tests before retiring in 2001.
In his 25 years playing First-Class cricket, Hick scored 136 centuries, 41,112 First-Class runs with an average of 52, before retiring from First-Class cricket in 2008.