A private request from captain Ben Stokes has lured former Australian bowling coach David Saker to reprise his position for England through the Ashes.
Saker was key to England’s ascent to the No.1 Test rating a decade in the past, together with two earlier Ashes wins in 2010-11 and 2013, and has agreed to return to assist the previous enemy.
“I don’t think I’ll do much Test cricket, but I’m doing the Ashes,” stated Saker, who’s working with the England white-ball groups in Bangladesh.
“Ben (Stokes) said, ‘I’d like to get you involved in the Ashes’. Rob Key (managing director) had already floated it a little bit, but being so busy I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to do it. Once Stokesy pushed it, it made it an easy decision.
“I said yes straight away because of the magnitude of the occasion. I’ve been involved in Ashes with both parties and the cricket is as exciting as it gets. It’s the biggest Test event.”
The 56-year-old, who additionally coaches the Melbourne Renegades within the Big Bash, was Australian bowling coach from 2016-19.
He joins an inventory of Australians serving to England after Mike Hussey linked up with the eventual winners on the T20 World Cup final November.
Saker will rekindle his relationship with evergreen English opening bowlers Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson, who’re set to embark on their ninth and tenth Ashes campaigns respectively, and work with firebrand Jofra Archer.
“Working with England the first time was so much fun,” Sakar stated.
“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to do the Ashes with this group because they are the best team in the world to watch at the moment.
“The evolution of Jimmy and Broady, they‘re so confident in what they can do and they just go out and do it. That’s what you want from your bowling group. My job is to make sure the bowlers are doing that.
“It‘s also creating an atmosphere in the dressing room that’s enjoyable. There’s no doubt that people are enjoying turning up to that Test team. It sounds like it’s a small thing, but the dressing-room atmosphere is a huge thing in international cricket.”
Originally revealed as David Saker helped England win two Ashes as bowling coach and is again on board
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
