Test side not over-coached: Pat Howard

Cricket Australia's high-performance manager Pat Howard believes it's flawed logic to blame the number of support staff and coaches for the Test side's woes.

Cricket Australia official Pat Howard

Cricket Australia says the number of support staff shouldn't be blamed for the Test side's woes. (AAP)

Cricket Australia official Pat Howard can understand criticism of his organisation, the Test side's batting collapses, coaches and players.

Howard feels many of the theories being putting forward for the current crisis, which culminated in Australia being skittled for 85 on day one of the second Test against South Africa, have merit.

But Howard won't cop the notion that Steve Smith's side have too many coaches and support staff on hand in Hobart.

A handful of former players have expressed concerns the Test XI is being mollycoddled and/or over-coached, with Ian Healy raising the latter as an issue during the washed-out second day of the second Test.

"I do question, have we got too many coaches in there?" Healy said on the Nine Network.

Howard noted those concerns were only raised during times like this and doubted whether there was a causal link between Australia's woeful batting collapses and the number of staff on hand to help.

"That's an interesting one that comes out in these situations," high-performance chief Howard said.

"But let's be fair, South Africa, England, India - we've all got similar structures in and around the team.

"(It is) the same structure we had when we were No.1 in the world six months ago.

"I've heard that sort of commentary when you're struggling and I hear it a lot, but at the same time the opposition's had the same and no-one's asking that question of them."

Howard also rejected the idea that having more players sign up for county cricket would fix the current batting crisis.

"The magic bullet of 'they play there and they will be better' is not always the case," he said.

"Usman (Khawaja) and Joe (Burns) have played there, so has Adam Voges ... (but) David Warner and Steve Smith haven't and their records are probably better.

"But, I don't think it hurts .. and we have been proactive in that space of getting people over there."


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Source: AAP



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