‘It is different’ – Kurtis Patterson opens up on NSW dressing room mood after Greg Shipperd axing

New South Wales batter Kurtis Patterson has acknowledged a sense of uncertainty within the squad as the team prepares to resume its domestic season following the decision to part ways with head coach Greg Shipperd.

Shipperd was informed late last week that he would not continue in his role beyond the current campaign, despite having a year remaining on his contract. The veteran coach will, however, see out the rest of the domestic season, which includes four remaining rounds of the Sheffield Shield and the concluding phase of the One-Day Cup, where NSW remain in contention for the finals.

Speaking ahead of the Shield clash against South Australia, Patterson admitted the situation had created an unusual environment within the group.

“Yeah, it is different. I think that’s probably where my head’s at in terms of trying to describe it. It’s a different feeling. But it is professional sport. No one’s safe in their job forever. It’s the nature of the beast. Shippy’s taken it really well and I think out of respect for him almost, we all need to knuckle down and take it the same and kind of get on with our jobs,”  Patterson said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Patterson conceded the news had been difficult for the squad to process, but praised Shipperd for the manner in which he handled the situation.

“It’s been a bit of a tough week I think for all of us. Shield cricket’s difficult and it’s another curveball we’ve got to deal with. But I guess just really feeling for Greg and to his credit, as everyone would expect, he’s taken it like a legend that he is,” he added.

Despite initial uncertainty, the NSW group quickly refocused on the task at hand.

“I think yesterday probably a few blokes were a bit unsure of how the day was going to go, but we just knuckled down, got straight into it and trying to do our best to win this game against South Australia,” he added.

Shipperd’s tenure has coincided with a steady turnaround in NSW’s fortunes. After inheriting a bottom-placed side midway through the 2022-23 season, he guided the team to third place in 2023-24 and fourth last summer. NSW also reached the One-Day Cup final in 2023-24, while several players progressed to higher honors, including Sam Konstas earning Test selection and Jack Edwards making his T20I debut against Pakistan.

The emergence of young talents such as Joel Davies, Lachlan Shaw and Ryan Hadley has further strengthened the squad, with Patterson firmly believing Shipperd leaves the side in a healthier position.

“We were struggling there for a while. I think we lost a bit of our identity and lost the idea of how to win and structure games in cricket to set yourself up to win. There’s no doubt Shippy was the right man for the job when he came in. He’s got so much experience and that counts for something,” Patterson said.

“He certainly has turned us around. We’ve been competitive in Shield cricket without being as consistent as what we would like. This [season] is a nice opportunity to change that around [and] it starts this week,” he quoted.

Looking ahead, Patterson feels the next coach will inherit a strong base.

“There is a lot of talent there and it feels like the last six months a lot of that talent has clicked in one format of the game or the other. So I’m sure whoever gets the job is going to have a nice platform to build off,” he said.

The match also marks a personal milestone for Patterson, who will play his 100th Sheffield Shield game for NSW, joining an elite list that includes Phil Emery, Moises Henriques, Greg Matthews, Geoff Lawson and Peter Nevill.

“As a cricketer, you’re always tormented, you always wish there were a few less Shield games and a few more Tests in there. But I grew up idolising this cricket team and to play 100 games is something I never thought of. I’m really, really proud to be able to tick it off this week,” Patterson said.

Jack Edwards will captain NSW after returning from Pakistan, with Josh Philippe also available. Steven Smith remains unavailable and is not expected to feature for the remainder of the Shield season. Uncapped pacer Peter Francis has been included in the squad.

South Australia will welcome back Alex Carey, alongside Brendan Doggett, as they prepare for the clash.

New South Wales squad: Jack Edwards (capt), Joel Davies, Peter Francis, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Sam Konstas, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Will Salzmann, Tanveer Sangha, Lachlan Shaw, Charlie Stobo

South Australia squad: Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Mackenzie Harvey, Henry Hunt, Hanno Jacobs, Jake Lehmann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney (capt), Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott