Aussie assistant set to join trans-Tasman rivals

The changing of the guard in Australia's women's coaching ranks continues, with Ben Sawyer set to be confirmed in a new role with New Zealand, leaving Meg Lanning's world champion side with two major backroom vacancies.

Sawyer, the former Sydney Sixers WBBL-title winning head coach, had joined the Australia women's set-up full-time last July as a pace bowling coach under Matthew Mott.

Highly regarded by Australia's seam bowling unit, Sawyer is expected to be unveiled as the new head coach of the White Ferns next week and will lead the team at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July-August.

Sawyer's departure follows hot on the heels of Mott's exit as head coach: he quit following Australia's ODI World Cup win to take up the mantle as head coach of England's men's white-ball squad.

Shelley Nitschke will be Australia's interim head coach for the Commonwealth Games and the preceding T20 tri-series in Ireland featuring Pakistan, with Cricket Australia to confirm two new assistants for the team next week.

Nitschke this week extended her tenure as head coach of the Perth Scorchers' women's side, signing a two-year contract extension after their title win in last summer's Weber WBBL.

Nitschke appeared to walk back her earlier enthusiasm to "throw my hat in the ring" for a permanent appointment as Australia's head coach, with her focus on the Comm Games tour ahead of a break in the international schedule until December's five-match T20 tour of India.

The former Australia star has been an assistant with the national side since 2018 and took on head coach duties for the Scorchers two years later, helping them make the semi-finals in WBBL|06 before a title win last season.

But while her and Sawyer both filled WBBL head coach roles while also assistants with Australia, the 45-year-old was non-committal about whether she could juggle head coaching duties for both.

"I think it's something that needs to be assessed down the track," Nitschke said today.

"At the moment I'm interim head coach, my main role was assistant coach, and I've come on board for the next two years for the Scorchers, so that's where I sit at the moment.

"It's all happened pretty quickly, to be honest, and, in my mind, pretty unexpectedly. So I kind of haven't given that (full-time head coach of Australia) a lot of thought.

"Motty moving on happened pretty quickly and we knew we had to sort of get things moving so I will just be doing the best I can for the team and working closely with the playing leaders to make sure that we keep our standards high and keep our performances at the level that they have been."

Mott did not mix WBBL duties with his job as Australia coach during his tenure.

Nitschke will be without assistants when Australia's 15 contracted players assemble in Brisbane next week for the first of two camps ahead of the Comm Games.

And while Australia's next permanent head coach is yet to be appointed, she said signing on for another two years with the Scorchers was "a pretty easy decision".

"It certainly was not a difficult decision for me and I was just happy that they wanted to continue with me in the coaching role," Nitschke said.

"I have absolutely loved the opportunity to come over (to Perth) and coach, I've really enjoyed working with the WACA staff and a new group of players and I really think that we've got something pretty special there."

Australia's Tour of the UK, 2022

Australia's squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

T20 Tri-Series

July 16: Australia v Pakistan

July 17: Australia v Ireland

July 19: Ireland v Pakistan

July 21: Australia v Ireland

July 23: Australia v Pakistan

July 24: Ireland v Pakistan

All matches start 3pm local time (midnight AEST) and played at Bready Cricket Club, Derry, Northern Ireland

2022 Commonwealth Games

July 29 v India (11am local time, 8pm AEST)

July 31 v Barbados (6pm local, 3am Aug 1 AEST)

August 3 v Pakistan (11am local, 8pm AEST)

Group A: Australia, India, Pakistan, Barbados

Group B: England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka

Semi-finals: August 6, 11am local (8pm AEST) and 6pm local (3am Aug 7 AEST)

Bronze medal match: August 7, 10am local (7pm AEST)

Gold medal match: August 7, 5pm local (2am Aug 8 AEST)

All matches played at Edgbaston Stadium