Australian assistants would fill Mott's void 'perfectly'

Australia women's interim head coach Shelley Nitschke will have first crack at impressing for the permanent job in what is anticipated to be a hot field of candidates.

Nitschke, a legendary allrounder who represented the nation 122 times across all formats, and assistant coach Ben Sawyer have both been tipped to apply for the role vacated by Matthew Mott after playing key roles in an extended period of dominance by Australia's women's team.

The pair will get the perfect chance to audition for the top job when they lead a full-strength Australian side in pursuit of Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham this winter.

Nitschke joined as an assistant coach in June 2018, while Sawyer took up the position full-time in July last year have held it in a part-time capacity since 2018.

During that time, under the tutelage of Mott, Nitschke and Sawyer, Australia's all-conquering women have soared to new heights, capturing two T20 World Cups, two Ashes series victories and an ODI World Cup last month.

Outgoing head coach Mott and skipper Meg Lanning hailed the appointment of Nitschke to lead the side at the Comm Games and during a T20 tri-series against Ireland and Pakistan in July-August but believed it would be a competitive field of applicants for the permanent role.

Lanning expects to have some input in the decision and wants people management to be as important as technical and tactical expertise when candidates are considered.

"Having 'Motty' around for the last seven years has really helped me personally on and off the field, I think he's really great at managing people and that's probably one of his biggest strengths – getting the best out of the group," the 30-year-old said in Melbourne on Friday.

Image Id: C25170689FB9495E84FC9008897D02C2 Image Caption: Nitschke, who is head coach of the Perth Scorchers WBBL team, with Australia leg-spinner Alana King // Getty

"I think the next coach needs to be able to do that as well; (coaching) at international level is as much about people management as it is about skill.

"I think we'll get some pretty good candidates to fill the role. It's an exciting time so whoever it is, I look forward to working with them."

Mott, who resigned from the role to take up the position of England men's white-ball coach, said Nitschke had done a great job as Perth Scorchers WBBL head coach over the past two seasons, leading them to their maiden title last November.

"I think it'll be a great experience for her to see whether she likes it as well," Mott told SEN Radio on Friday morning.

"She likes to fly under the radar a bit, Shelley, so I think it's a good taster for her to see if she wants to do it.

"I think it will attract a great field (with) where the team is at, the amount of men's and women's coaches that will look at that role and think they'd love to be a part of it. I'm sure there will be a process and I'm sure there will be some excellent candidates."

Australia allrounder Ashleigh Gardner said both Nitschke and Sawyer would fill the void left by Mott perfectly.

"I would assume both of them are definitely going to go for the role eventually," she said on Friday after being selected in Australia's Comm Games squad.

"I know how much interest this job will get. We've been one of the most successful Australian sides (and) that's going to attract some really good options.

"But if it is either Shelley or Ben, I know none of us will be complaining."

Leg-spinner Alana King said having Nitschke take over would make for a smooth transition.

"She's probably the next in line, she's been involved in the setup for a quite some time now so I’m sure that not much will change," King told cricket.com.au.

Australia have named an unchanged 15-player squad for the Commonwealth Games in July-August from the one that one the World Cup in New Zealand, with their warm-up tri-series in Ireland scheduled for mid-July.

Nitschke, who won the Belinda Clark Award as the Australia's women's International Cricketer of the Year four years in a row from 2008 to 2012, will continue to coach the Scorchers this year in WBBL|08 before Australia's next engagement after the Commonwealth Games in January 2023.

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