Brad Haddin appointed New South Wales head coach

Brad Haddin (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Former New South Wales and Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has been appointed as the Blues’ new head coach. Haddin, who played 66 Tests, 126 ODIs, and 34 T20Is, replaces Greg Shipperd, who was axed in late January but chose to see out the domestic season, with NSW winning the One-Day Cup last week.

However, the Blues finished fifth in the Sheffield Shield after a final-round draw against Western Australia, who were nine wickets down. It is success in the Shield, which NSW have not won since the Covid-interrupted 2019-20 season, that the state is most eager to achieve. There have also been concerns that NSW is no longer developing talent at the same rate as in previous years.

Haddin, who represented NSW for 12 years, is currently an assistant coach with Punjab Kings in the IPL, having previously held assistant roles with the Australia men’s team and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He will take up the NSW head coach role in June, when the squad returns for pre-season.

“NSW cricket has been an integral part of my life and to rejoin the fold as Blues head coach is a proud moment for myself and my family. Wearing the baggy blue was incredibly special and gave me some of the greatest memories of my career. I am looking forward to working with our current crop of talented players to bring back an aura to NSW cricket and to have a team with a formidable, distinctive style of play we can all be proud of,” said Haddin as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Haddin is expected to bring in a new team of assistant coaches at NSW, with incumbents Ali de Winter and Shawn Bradstreet informed that they would be losing their roles. The decision did not sit well with former NSW and Australia spinner Steve O’Keefe, who had previously spoken out about the treatment of Greg Shipperd.

Haddin will not be taking on the vacant Sydney Sixers or Sydney Thunder BBL coaching roles. Shipperd was sacked from his Sixers position at the same time he lost the NSW job, while Trevor Bayliss departed the Thunder after they finished at the bottom of the table this season.

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