New Delhi, November 18
Australia's bowling coach, Daniel Vettori, will leave the team during the first Test against India in Perth to attend the IPL auction in Saudi Arabia as the coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Test match is set to begin on November 22 at Perth's Optus Stadium, while the IPL auction will be held in Jeddah on November 24-25. This scheduling conflict also affects Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer, who will also leave the Test to attend the auction as head coaches of Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, respectively.
Vettori is a unique figure in world cricket, holding a permanent assistant coaching role with Australia's national team while also being the full-time head coach of an IPL franchise and a Hundred team, Birmingham Phoenix. He has been Australia's bowling coach since 2022 and is highly valued by Cricket Australia (CA), which allows him to balance his international and franchise commitments.
The decision to prioritize the IPL auction over a Test match reflects the evolving landscape of cricket. Although Vettori has missed some series in the past due to franchise commitments, this will be the first time he leaves midway through a Test to attend the IPL auction. CA is currently looking for a new full-time national pace bowling coach to cover for Vettori when he is unavailable.
Vettori was actively involved in training with Australia's squad at the WACA ground on Monday, helping the bowling unit and preparing the batters for facing Ravindra Jadeja. Additionally, former Australia batter Michael Hussey and former allrounder Jim Allenby are working with the team ahead of the first Test.
Australia's fielding coach, Andre Borovec, is currently with the T20I side playing against Pakistan and will join the Test squad in Perth after the series concludes. Lachlan Stevens, CA's national development coach, will also fly to Perth to support the team when Vettori departs.