McDonald secures Australia assistant coach role

The summer after clinching titles in all three domestic competitions, Andrew McDonald has been snapped up to become Justin Langer's right-hand man.

McDonald's appointment to the senior assistant coaching position with the national men's team was announced on Thursday night while Australia were playing Sri Lanka in a Gillette T20 at the Gabba, after reports of the move surfaced earlier in the day.

It's the third major appointment for the 38-year-old in the past four months, having also recently taken up head-coaching positions in the Indian Premier League and England's new Hundred competition.

It is understood McDonald will honour those deals in 2020, with Australia's light international schedule next year freeing him up to gain more experience in the shortest format ahead of next year's T20 World Cup.

On Friday, McDonald confirmed he would stand down as both the state coach of Victoria – the announcement coming as the state collapsed to be 6-55 on the first morning of their Marsh Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania in Hobart – and the KFC Big Bash League defending champions side the Melbourne Renegades.

"This has been a very difficult decision. Since coming back to Melbourne three years ago, coaching the Victorian men's team has been an incredible experience. We have established a strong culture and enjoyed a sustained period of success in the Sheffield Shield competition. There have been too many highlights to name but the achievements of last season are certainly up there," McDonald said.

"I'm incredibly proud of my time with the Renegades and what the club was able to achieve. To lift the trophy in front of home fans in February is something I'll remember with pride for a long time."

The likes of Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and Steve Waugh have held various coaching and mentoring roles since David Saker vacated the senior assistant coaching position earlier this year.

An additional vacancy was created when fielding coach and former Test keeper Brad Haddin stepped away from his role at the end of this year's Ashes series in the UK to spend more time with family, and focus on television commentary in Australia.

"Andrew complements our coaching panel perfectly,” Langer said, lauding McDonald's competitiveness during his four-Test playing career that also yielded 95 first-class games.

“I have no doubt his all-round knowledge and man management skills will be a positive addition to our team.

"The coaching success Andrew has enjoyed around the world in a relatively short period of time is testament to his skill, dedication and knowledge of the game."

McDonald has been praised by players for his communication skills and his tactical acumen, having only finished his 15-year playing career in 2016.

His first major coaching job was at English side Leicestershire, where he helped rebuild the county side following a sustained period of poor performances, before returning to Australia to take up jobs at Victoria and the Renegades.

He recently signed a three-year deal with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and was named the Birmingham Phoenix's head coach for the inaugural season of the Hundred.

"As a player, Andrew was an outstanding allrounder, tactician and competitor and a popular teammate. And as a coach, he has demonstrated great leadership and enjoyed remarkable success in all formats," Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager of National Teams Ben Oliver said.

"We are confident our playing group will grow under Andrew’s mentorship. We are also proud that our world-class domestic system is providing a pathway to international coaching ranks."

Saker, whom McDonald replaced as Victoria's coach in 2016, has been reported by News Corp as the likely candidate to return to the state coaching job.

Cricket Victoria have not named McDonald's replacement but chief executive Andrew Ingleton and general manager Shaun Graf paid tribute to the former allrounder.

"Naturally we’re sad to see Andrew leave after completing such a great year for Victorian cricket but we understand his desire to challenge himself at the highest level and have no doubt he will be a significant asset to the national coaching unit,” Ingleton said.

Graf added: "Andrew has overseen a fantastic culture within the Victorian playing group, and to see players like Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, James Pattinson and others develop into national players is a credit to the work he has put in with them at domestic level."