Coach exodus worries Nielsen

Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, says the departure of his assistant Jamie Siddons could hurt the Australia team as it prepares for a hectic Test schedule. Siddons is the latest in a long line of Australian coaches to take international posts and Nielsen is concerned that too many have to leave the Australian system to further their careers.

Nielsen said losing Siddons was a blow with Australia seeking off-field stability as they adjusted to life without their retired stars Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer. "It doesn't help with your continuity," Nielsen told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"When you're going into a year like we are about to, you want consistency with your staff. I'm pleased for him to take over an international team, but it is a bit of a hindrance for us. We now have to try and fill that void, and in the short term that's probably going to mean the whole coaching staff taking on a little extra responsibility."

Siddons was a mentor to the national side's batsmen and that role will now be temporarily shared by Dene Hills, another of Nielsen's deputies, and Brian McFadyen, who coaches at the Centre of Excellence. Nielsen said he tried to convince Siddons - the two were former team-mates at South Australia - to stay but the lure of guiding a Test team was too great.

Five of the ten Test nations now have Australian coaches: Australia (Nielsen), Bangladesh (Siddons), West Indies (John Dyson), Pakistan (Geoff Lawson) and Sri Lanka (Trevor Bayliss). Richard Done, Dav Whatmore and Terry Oliver have also been considered for national posts recently and Nielsen said the demand for Australian coaches was a good sign.

"I guess it shows that we are doing things the right way," he said. "Jamie is another product of the Centre of Excellence and our development system and is obviously very sought after. But it would be great if we could hold on to a few more of these guys. Many of them have plenty to contribute, and you'd like to think that we could tap those resources a bit more.

"Of course, being a coach these days is a lot like being a player, and you have to go where the opportunities take you, to a certain extent. But I just think from an Australian point of view, it would be worth looking at, to see if anything can be done to keep some of these guys."