Bevan clarifies coaching credentials

Michael Bevan has defended his coaching credentials but moved to downplay his social media approach for a role working with the Australian cricket team. 

One of Australia's greatest one-day batters, Bevan took to Twitter in the wake of Australia's second one-day defeat in India to say that he was interested in the role of ODI batting coach. But he stressed his interest should not be taken as a criticism of the national team that slipped to a 3-0 series result overnight in Indore.

"There was no intention to link the Australia performances with the fact that I wanted to do the (batting coach) role," Bevan told cricket.com.au today. 

"The Australian one-day team have had a great record for a long time now. It really wasn't my intention to have a go at anyone off the back of two bad games. Any player knows a couple of bad games doesn't mean that much.

"It was never my intention to disrespect anyone, it was more just the fact that I've made the transition from a head coach to a specialist batting coach just recently and I just wanted to make it known I was happy to look for batting roles."

Bevan made headlines with his approach but it sparked a terse response from former Test quick Peter Siddle. 

"He's had 15 years to apply for a job with Cricket Australia and help out around the country and he hasn't," Siddle said on Fox Sports News. 

"The boys want support, not those blokes that haven't been around and haven't been helping out at either State or international cricket just to throw out a tweet. 

"It's a little bit low. I'd love to see him apply for a job with NSW or Victoria, start doing some work, not just throwing out a tweet when we're going bad, and when we're going well we don't hear from him. 

"He was a brilliant player for Australia, one of the best. To have him around would be outstanding, but to just throw it out there after a bad loss is a bit disappointing."

Bevan accepts the criticism but defends his coaching activity, a facet of the game he's been involved in since his playing days wound down with Tasmania.

"I think Peter Siddle's comments were well intentioned ... but I'm not sure he knew my background in terms of my recent coaching in Sydney Premier cricket or my attempts to find work within the Cricket Australia framework," Bevan said. 

"But I agree with him that everyone has to pay their dues and go through the due course of coaching to get experience and go through the levels. 

"I agree with that but not with the claim I hadn't been putting myself out there in the Australian coaching field."

The Australian set-up has long opened the door to previous players, with recently retired internationals Brad Haddin and Ryan Harris among those in the current coaching roles.

And in the wake of the at-times acrimonious MOU debate, head coach Darren Lehmann wrote directly to Australia's vast network of retired cricketers to seek their input on improving the current playing group.

"We as support staff are always looking for ways to improve and welcome any advice from you, so if you have any ideas however 'out there' they might be, please reply," Lehmann wrote in his open letter to past players.

"Your advice is always helpful. After all, we as players both past and present don't have all the answers and as support staff we are always looking for the best way to drive us forward in the game.

"If at any stage you would like to come into the change rooms or come along to training and see how we do things and prepare, please let us know and we can facilitate the process.

"The players and staff love seeing you guys around and talking through the game you played."

Bevan, an accredited Level 3 High Performance coach, moved into the back room after finishing with Tasmania, and spent three seasons coaching in the Indian Cricket League before a season with IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab. He spent three years as head coach with Eastern Suburbs in Sydney's Premier Cricket competition and has now focused on a specialist batting coach role.

Australia's Qantas Tour of India

Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Patrick Cummins, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.

Australia T20 squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Jason Behrendorff, Dan Christian, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Tim Paine, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa.

India squad (first three ODIs): Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami.

ODI Fixtures

September 17: India won by 26 runs (DLS Method)

September 21: India won by 50 runs

September 24: India won by five wickets

September 28: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

October 1: VCA Stadium, Nagpur

T20 Fixtures

October 7: JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi

October 10: Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati

October 13: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad