Haddin to coach future Australian stars

The next generation of Australian cricket stars will be blazing their trail in the middle during Australia A's seven-week winter series in Queensland but there will be plenty of familiar faces around the boundary, with a host of former greats swapping playing whites for coaches clipboards.

Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, batting great Mike Hussey and his younger brother David will share assistant coach duties with Australia A. They'll be joined by ex-fast bowler Ryan Harris, who continues his coaching career as an assistant with Cricket Australia's National Performance Squad when those teams meet the 'A' sides from India and South Africa.

Haddin, who retired after Australia's failed Ashes campaign in 2015, will be Troy Cooley's understudy for two unofficial Tests against South Africa A. David Hussey will then take over as Cooley's assistant for the quadrangular one-day series, while Mike Hussey will work with the Australia A players as an assistant coach against India A.

For Haddin, it will offer him the chance to work closely with developing glovemen Sam Whiteman, Peter Handscomb and Cameron Bancroft in his first official Cricket Australia post since retirement.

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"It's an exciting opportunity," Haddin told cricket.com.au in Brisbane.

"I've been in contact with Cricket Australia for a long time now since I've finished playing and coaching is something I'm not sure I want to go into or not (but) it's a good opportunity to dip your toe in the water and see if you enjoy it."

The 66-Test veteran has previously cited England coach Trevor Bayliss as one of his biggest influences but says he will heed the lessons from a number of coaches when he mentors the next crop of Australia's talent.

"You take little things from all of the coaches," Haddin said. 

"I had a wonderful time under Boof (Darren Lehmann), a great time under Tim Nielsen and I just want to see how my time goes with the players. 

"Darren and Tim are still guys I still talk to about the game."

The 38-year-old recently completed the Level Three coaching course, alongside the Hussey brothers. Mike has already made several forays into coaching, working with the South Africans during last year's World Cup, and was a consultant for Australia's World T20 campaign in India earlier this year. 

"It'd be good to be involved all around, I think one thing you get with the Australia A set up, they don't have quite as many resources as the Australian team so you have to get in there and get your hands dirty and work," Haddin said.

"I didn't think too much about what format it was, it was a chance to keep developing and I've been lucky with my sport that I've had contact with the pathway.

"It's a great opportunity to see if this is what I want to do."

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Since retiring, Haddin has continued playing with the ACT side in the Toyota Futures League and continues to be involved with the Sydney Sixers in the KFC Big Bash League, as well as exploring options outside of cricket.

"It's been a good time since I've retired from international cricket," the New South Welshman said. 

"I've got three young kids at home and have enjoyed some time at home but I've also enjoyed having a look at some different sports and business and seeing how they run their practice.

"I'm lucky, when I retired there was nothing wrong with my body and I could still compete at that level, the Twenty20 was a really enjoyable time, I've got another year to go with the Sixers and I'm looking forward to it."

Haddin recently paired up with another former Australian wicketkeeper in Ian Healy to mentor the nation's best up-and-coming glovemen and says that short foray into coaching spiked his interest into seeing whether he would look at a role long-term.

"I enjoyed working with the wicketkeepers, it was enjoyable for both parties, I've got a passion for the game, cricket has been great to me for a long period of time, I want to be involved some way, this is a good opportunity," he said.

Australia A squad: Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Cameron Boyce, Pat Cummins, Travis Dean, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Sam Heazlett, Moises Henriques, Jake Lehmann, Chris Lynn, Joe Mennie, Kurtis Patterson, Joel Paris, Matt Renshaw, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Chadd Sayers, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Dan Worrall, Sam Whiteman.