Ex-Test coach replaces Jamie Cox at Redbacks
Nielsen comes on board at SACA
Former Australian coach Tim Nielsen will replace the sacked Jamie Cox as high performance manager of South Australian cricket.
Cox was axed in May for canvassing prospective recruits for the state's KFC T20 Big Bash League franchise, Adelaide Strikers, during the league's recruiting embargo period.
Nielsen was Australian coach for four years from 2007 and most recently worked with the Redbacks' emerging talent program.
The former wicketkeeper played 99 first-class games for SA, including the 1995-96 Sheffield Shield final win – the state's last triumph in the four-day competition.
Nielsen said SA had the talent to end their Shield drought.
“My key focus in the short term will be consolidating a really positive period of growth for cricket in South Australia,” Nielsen said.
“Our underage teams have led the way nationally over the past two years and our women’s team, the Scorpions, enjoyed great improvement last year.
“We have experienced more success in the Sheffield Shield and I believe that we can achieve the ultimate goal with this group.
“We have fantastic people in our high performance department from our coaching staff, to performance analysts and physios.
“I want to ensure that at all levels of cricket, South Australia has a long-term period of sustained success, developing elite first-class cricketers and turning them into Australian players.”
"I believe that we can achieve the ultimate goal with this group
SACA Chief Executive, Keith Bradshaw, said Nielsen’s depth of experience and knowledge made him the lead candidate for the role.
“Tim’s experience with the national side and his intimate knowledge of the state system made him the standout candidate,” Bradshaw said.
“We had an outstanding field of applicants and are delighted to appoint Tim to this role; he will hit the ground running this week.
“The selection process has given us an opportunity to look at our procedures and structures and the ability to challenge the way we operated in our high performance area.”