Rating the last 5 Australian coaches

In cricket, the role of a coach is an important one. Unlike other team sports such as football and hockey, where the coach or manager has the utmost authority in almost all matters, cricket is a game where the captain dictates terms.

The coach’s role is not necessarily coaching the players and improving the technical part of their game (both of which are important but not compulsory), but more of guiding the players, giving them optimal space and a free mentality to go out and perform.

One of the main objectives of a coach is to bring the best out of a player. And Australia is a team which always had very good coaches. Thus, let’s look at the last 5 Australian coaches and rate them.

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#5 Geoff Marsh (1996-1999) – 7.5/10

Geoff Marsh was an important part of the Australian team that was under resurrection under Allan Border. He was a gutsy batsman and one of the most difficult to bowl to as he simply refused to get out. He played 50 Tests and 117 ODIs for Australia in a 7-year career retiring in 1992.

Geoff Marsh took over from Bob Simpson in July 1996 – after Australia lost the final of the Wills World Cup in 1996. Australia were slowly turning into the best side of the world. In 1996, they were probably the best Test team going around but the ODI team hadn’t built on the 1987 World Cup success and were pretty inconsistent.

But Marsh’s arrival as head coach changed things. Australia became slowly started becoming world-beaters. Under the Western Australian, Australia won 18 out of the 35 Tests they played. They lost only 10 of those Tests and of those, 7 losses came against India and West Indies (3 against India, 4 against the Windies).

He transformed the one-day team into a consistent team as well. Under him, Australia won 50 ODIs out of 85. He won the World Cup in 1999 as coach after winning it as a player in 1987.

Also, Australia never lost an Ashes series under him. There were a couple of setbacks for the Aussies under Marsh. They could not win a series in India and they performed inconsistently in multi-team ODI tournaments.

Before the World Cup in 1999, Australia took part in 8 multi-team tournaments and won only 3 of them. Thus, he gets 7.5.

#4 John Buchanan (1999-2007) – 8.5/10

John Buchanan

John Buchanan was a name relatively unheard of in Australian cricket when he was appointed the coach of the national team in 1999. He played 7 first-class matches, 1 List A game and no international cricket. He still got the job even after being the most unlikely candidate.

However, Australia absolutely dominated world cricket under Buchanan. They went onto to achieve feats they hadn’t in years.

Buchanan started with a win streak of 15 consecutive Test matches which ended in the famous Eden Gardens Test in 2001. Under him, Australia won two World Cups and never lost a single game in World Cups. In 2004, Australia won a Test series in India after 36 years.

They won the Champions Trophy for the first time in 2006. Australia absolutely crushed almost every team that came its way. Of 30 Test series Australia played under the Queenslander, they lost only 3. Out of 89 Test matches the Aussies played under him, they won a staggering 70.

The ODI team was also dominant as they won about 31 of 41 played under him (including multi-team tournaments). His winning percentage, Tests and ODIs combined, is a mind-blowing 79.83.

The only low point of his coaching stint was the Ashes 2005 where Australia conceded the urn after 16 years. Thus, he is rated as one of the best coaches not only in Australia but in the history of the game.

However, Buchanan had a world-class team (a star-studded squad) at his disposal. Thus, managing the was not a concern as such. Hence, he gets 8.5.

#3 Tim Nielson (2007-2011) – 7/10

Tim Nielson (on the left)

Tim Nielson was another coach who never played international cricket. Having played 101 first-class games and 51 List A games for South Australia, Nielson made a mark in the coaching arena pretty quickly. He retired in 1999 and began his coaching career soon after.

First, he was the assistant coach of South Australian Redbacks. He then worked with Buchanan and assisted him with the Australian team for three years.

After Buchanan resigned, Nielson took over as the head coach. His 4-year stint was a rather mixed one. After beginning on a strong note under him where Australia stretched their consecutive series wins to 9, with the retirement of stalwarts, the transition led to some inconsistency over the period of next three years.

Under Nielson, Australia won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2009 but failed to defend the World Cup in India in 2011. They also lost the Ashes at home (after 32 years) in 2010/11. The South Australian wicketkeeper stepped down from the coach’s post after inconsistent results (which included an Ashes defeat at home and a quarter-final exit in the World Cup).

Australia could only win 22 out of the 45 Tests when Nielson was in charge. But won 17 out of the 25 one-day series’. Thus, he gets a 7.

#2 Mickey Arthur (2011-2013) – 5/10

Mickey Arthur

In 2011 when Mickey Arthur filled Tim Nielson’s shoes as Australia’s head coach, he became the first foreign-born coach for Australia. He had a pretty successful stint as South Africa coach, and there were some high expectations when he joined the Australian set-up.

He started off with a couple of Test series draws (against South Africa 1-1 and against New Zealand 1-1), but Australia thrashed India 4-0 to raise the expectations. But since that Australia weren’t consistent as they lost 2 and won 2 series in the next 4 Test series'.

The ODI form was also inconsistent as they could never manage to win more than 2 ODIs consistently (barring the 5-0 whitewash vs West Indies in 2013).

2013 was an eventful year for Arthur as coach. The ‘Homework-gate’ saga broke out during the India tour, which brought a lot of criticism with it. Australia failed to win a game in the 2013 edition of the Champions trophy and were knocked out early.

This series of events along with mixed results and Arthur’s not-so-great rapport with the players led to his sacking just ahead of the 2013 Ashes in England.

#1 Darren Lehmann (2013-Present) – 9/10

Darren Lehmann

After the bitter experience of a foreign coach, the Australian think-tank went back to an Australian, when they appointed Darren Lehmann in what was a mini-crisis situation.

After playing in the golden years of Australian cricket, Lehmann had a stiff job at hand. He had to rebuild the team and instil some confidence in the players who were down on morale. Thus, he managed it very well.

After a disappointing Ashes in England in 2013, Lehmann helped Australia turned around their fortunes as they won the next 7 out of 9 Test series (with losses in UAE and England).

Under ‘Goof’ as he is commonly known, Australia seem to be almost unbeatable at home. They have just lost one Test series at home, against South Africa, under him. Australia have won 23 out of 47 Test under Lehmann.

The Aussies also improved their subcontinent record as they won a Test there after six years.

The ODI team also has performed remarkably well under him winning 15 out of the 22 series’ they’ve played. Australia haven’t lost an ODI series at home under the big South Australian. They also won the 2015 World Cup at home. That was Lehmann’s third World Cup triumph - he won two as a player, and now, one as a coach.

Lehmann as coach couldn’t inspire Australia to an Ashes win in England as the Aussies failed in 2013 and 2015. With Lehmann continuing till 2019, it is a good sign for Australia as he’s done very well with them.

Hence, he gets 9.