Saker can be key to Aust cricket success

Australia seamer John Hastings says former England bowling coach David Saker can play a key role in helping the team to Champions Trophy success.

John Hastings believes Australia's bowling coach David Saker's knowledge of English conditions can be crucial to any potential success in the Champions Trophy.

Saker worked with England for six years and is credited with transforming Jimmy Anderson from an inconsistent medium-pacer into one of the world's finest exponents of swing bowling.

He also played a huge role in the development of Stuart Broad before returning home to Melbourne take up a job with Victoria in 2015 and then joining Darren Lehmann's backroom team last year.

With Australia blessed with their most exciting crop of pace bowlers for years, Hastings said the role of Saker in honing that talent can be a huge advantage in a country where success has been thin on the ground for over a decade.

"Sakes is brilliant," Hastings said.

"He's the first to come and tell you what you are doing wrong but also when you are going well.

"There's also his knowledge of English conditions, and I keep harping on about conditions, but it is really important over here.

"Some days it can be ... swinging around, some days the sun can be out and It's flat and it doesn't do anything.

"You have to know what to expect and he has been a big part of that."

Hasting has done well in England during spells with county sides Durham and Worcester but admitted he wasn't entirely confident of being selected for the Champions Trophy squad.

The 31-year-old was furious at his omission for the New Zealand one-day series last December, despite being the world's leading one-day wicket-taker in the calendar year.

A fractured kneecap then ended his season and he admitted he thought he might have run his race as an international player.

"Missing out on that New Zealand series was tough to take, no doubt," he said.

"Then I got injured and missed the rest of the summer. So I was in a pretty flat spot at times during the Big Bash.

"The early diagnosis for my injury was quite bad and I thought that could have been it, no doubt.

"But once they got in there and had a look, it wasn't so bad.

"Nine to 10 months came down to about four months so that Champions Trophy was well in my mind and I was glad to get through it."


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Source: AAP



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