Leics coach McDonald linked with Victoria

Leicestershire could be looking for a new coach after reports in Australia linked Andrew McDonald with the same role at Victoria. While Leicestershire insist McDonald has, to date, only been approached for a role with Melbourne Renegades (the Big Bash side), rumours persist that he has become the preferred candidate for both the first-class and limited-overs teams.

"When you have a coach as good as Andrew, it is inevitable that other teams will be interested," Wasim Khan, Leicestershire's chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. "But as things stand, he tells me he has only been approached for a role with the T20 side. My reaction was 'great; good for you'."

Despite a poor year in limited-overs cricket, McDonald has made a strong impression as elite performance director at Leicestershire. After several miserable years, the club are currently fifth in Division Two of the County Championship and retain ambitions of winning promotion. If that sounds modest, it must be remembered that, when McDonald was appointed ahead of the 2015 season, the club had not won a Championship match since 2012.

While McDonald is two years into a three-year deal with the club (he is contracted from February to September until the end of the 2017 county season), he may well conclude that the opportunity to become head coach of Victoria and Melbourne Renegades is too good to miss. Indeed, with the Matador Cup season starting in the first week of October, Victoria may well want McDonald before the end of the current county season. It is not thought sustainable to continue in both roles.

McDonald, who played four Tests for Australia, represented Victoria, the state of his birth, for more than a decade. The vacancy arose when David Saker left to take up the role of bowling coach with the Australia team.