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Siddons takes helm in South Australia

Home town favourite returns to take Redbacks reins alongside Strikers coach Gillespie

Jamie Siddons has been appointed as head coach of the West End Redbacks on a three-year contract by the South Australian Cricket Association today.

Siddons will mentor South Australia's Bupa Sheffield Shield and Matador One-Day Cup outfits, while former Redbacks teammate and current Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie will helm the Adelaide Strikers in the KFC T20 Big Bash League.

"I am so happy to be back home after a long time away," Siddons said in a SACA statement.

"I'm excited about the list, especially some of the talented young players, and I can't wait to get started."

Siddons takes over the role vacated by Darren Berry, inheriting a Sheffield Shield team that has collected five wooden spoons in the past six seasons and a one-day side that has fared no better since winning the competition in 2011-12.

But the 51-year-old has an extensive wealth of international and domestic coaching knowledge to draw from to reverse South Australia's fortunes and return the Redbacks to the glory days of the mid-1990s where Siddons captained the state's sole Shield triumph in 1995-96.

Following his retirement in 2000, Siddons became an assistant coach at the Redbacks in 2002, spending three years with his adopted state before serving as John Buchanan's assistant with the national team in 2005.

In 2007, Siddons was appointed coach of Bangladesh, guiding the Tigers to a 4-0 one-day international series win over New Zealand in 2010 and monumental triumph over England in the World Cup a year later.

Bangladesh's failure to qualify for the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals on home soil ended his tenure with the Asian nation, and he has spent the past four seasons across the Tasman coaching the Wellington Firebirds to the One-Day Cup title in 2012-13 and the domestic T20 crown in 2014-15.

Siddons played one ODI for Australia in 1988 against Pakistan in Lahore, but as a first-class player only SACA legend Darren Lehmann and Tasmanian Jamie Cox accumulated more Sheffield Shield runs than the dashing right-hander.

A specialist selection panel consisting of champion wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist, former AFL coach David Parkin and Cricket Australia's executive general manager of team performance, Pat Howard, SACA chief executive Keith Bradshaw and SACA High Performance manager Tim Nielsen chose local hero Siddons after an extensive search.

"He was outstanding from the beginning. I was impressed with his understanding of the challenges that the SACA had faced during his time away and was clear on what was required moving forward," said Parkin.

"His experience in New Zealand and Bangladesh showed that he has been able to build and develop young talent, but I was also impressed with what he brings personally. He is a strong character, but has great empathy.

"He presented himself incredibly well throughout the whole process and I absolutely believe that he is the right person to do the job that is required."

Siddons joins Stephen Schwerdt, the new SACA Physical Performance Manager, in the revamped coaching set-up and begins his time at the Adelaide Oval on June 1 for the commencement of the Redbacks' pre-season program.