Simons to exit, Dawes to be bowling coach
The Australia series would be the last assignment for India’s bowling coach Eric Simons and the South African would be replaced by Australian Joe Dawes. Abhijeet Kulkarni reports. Change of guard
The Australia series would be the last assignment for India’s bowling coach Eric Simons and the South African would be replaced by Australian Joe Dawes. A decision to this effect was taken at the BCCI’s working committee meeting in Chennai on Monday, a Board source revealed.
Although the official line has been that Simons has been replaced, he has been under fire since India’s inconsistent bowling show in England and in the four-match Test series in Australia.
The conditions in both the countries were favourable for seamers but the Indian bowlers failed to make an impact.
Simons, who joined the Indian team in January 2010, was also criticised for his inability to get the best out of Ishant Sharma, who was the find of the last Indian tour to Australia in 2007.
Injury management was also an area of concern during Simons’ tenure. India suffered heavily when Zaheer Khan limped out on the first day of the Lord’s Test and missed the entire England series.
In the West Indies prior to that, Munaf Patel was kept in the squad despite nursing an elbow problem and looked pedestrian after he was picked for the final Test in Dominica.
Recently, former Australian fast bowling great Jeff Thomson had raised questions over Simons’ performance during a chat with Hindustan Times.
“I thought Ishant bowled well, although I don’t like the length he’s bowling, it’s about a few yards too short. I also think India need a bowling coach to guide the young fast bowlers. You’ve got a bloke who hasn’t played a single Test. If you had someone like Dennis Lillee or Craig McDermott it would do a world of difference to bowlers.”
Simons is also the head coach of Delhi Daredevils.