Tasmania's Cooley cashes in with England

Troy Cooley, who played at the same club and in state sides with Ricky Ponting, is a crucial figure behind the men currently troubling Australia. As England's bowling coach, Cooley, a former Tasmania fast bowler who played 25 Sheffield Shield games, has worked heavily with Harmison, Flintoff and Jones, the trio which has taken 41 wickets in three Tests.

Cooley, 39, has devised the plans to help Simon Jones exploit reverse-swing and get Andrew Flintoff to charge around the wicket to Gilchrist, Katich, Hayden and Langer. The movement both ways in the air also surprised Michael Clarke, who offered no shot to Jones in the second innings at Old Trafford and was bowled for 39.

"People think [reverse-swing] is a complicated thing but, in fact, it's pretty simple," Cooley told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Simon has a very fast arm action. Glenn McGrath still gets it, but it becomes a more dangerous weapon with the quicks. Simon also has a good wrist to get the seam in the right position."

David Boon, who coached Cooley when he was at Tasmania, said he had "enormous talent" as a bowler, but his playing career was cut short by back injuries and glandular fever. Cooley moved into coaching and worked with Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh, who took him to England when he set up the ECB Academy.

"We're seeing the fruits of his labour with the English bowling at the moment," Boon told The Australian. "The only thing I mentioned to him when I saw him in England was that I didn't think red, white and blue suited him. We had a laugh about his attire in English gear. He's enjoying the role he's playing there and he's obviously contributing to English cricket."

Cooley had no problem signalling his allegiance to the blue cap instead of the baggy green. "I'll be supporting my team 100%," he said in the Herald. "I'm a part of the England set-up now."