London, Aug 5 (IANS) Newly-appointed England red-ball head coach Stephen Fleming has approached former Australian batter Michael Hussey to join his support staff as the team’s batting coach, said a report by 7News Australia on Wednesday.
Fleming, who was handed the reins of the Test side recently after the sacking of Brendon McCullum, reached out to Hussey, 51, to gauge his interest in taking up the role. The report also said although no formal contract has been offered yet by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Hussey remains Fleming’s primary choice for the position.
Hussey is currently coaching Welsh Fire in ‘The Hundred’ and is yet to make a decision regarding his availability for the assignment. He also serves as the batting coach of five-time IPL winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where Fleming had been the head coach since 2009.
The potential appointment would see a remarkable Ashes reunion 14 years after Hussey last played for Australia in 2013. Fleming and Hussey share a long-standing professional relationship spanning over 15 years, having first played together for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, before working together as coach and assistant coach at the franchise.
Fleming, the former New Zealand captain, is scheduled to officially take charge of the England side during their three-match Test tour of South Africa in December. Former England batter Marcus Trescothick will serve as interim head coach for the upcoming three-Match Test series against Pakistan, starting August 19 at Headingley.
While Australian David Saker will continue as the bowling coach for the series against Pakistan, the report also said Fleming is expected to target South Africa’s Eric Simmons, another long-time coaching colleague from his time at CSK, to eventually take over the bowling duties.
As of now, Simmons is a bowling consultant at CSK and had been India’s bowling coach when they won the 2011 Men’s ODI World Cup and even worked in the South Africa set-up.
–IANS
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