By Jesse Hogan
EXCLUSIVE
New Melbourne Renegades coach David Saker will not tolerate any of his players thinking their team is in any way inferior to cross-town rivals Melbourne Stars.
Chris Woakes of England with David Saker during an England nets session earlier this month.Credit: Getty Images
While the Renegades have only reached the Big Bash League finals once in their four years, compared to ever year for the Stars, and lost both derbies in the recent season, the former fast bowler defended the credentials of the Etihad Stadium-based team.
"We've got a squad together now that you'd have to say would match, if not better, the Stars' squad, so we can push our chest out and say we're going to take this [rivalry] on," he said, hailing the recruitment of Cameron White from the Stars as an endorsement of that.
"There's some really good players in this group and there shouldn't be any thought of someone bullying us on a cricket field ... the way I am, I'm not going to let anyone push this team around."
Saker has sought an early contract release from his role as England's bowling coach, a position he has held for almost five years, so he can focus on his first role at the helm of the Renegades, and potentially a complementary position in the Sheffield Shield or English county cricket.
"I didn't think I'd ever get as excited about a cricket job as I did when the English rang up [in 2010] and said I'd got the job, but to be fair when I sat down with Stuart [Coventry, Renegades chief executive] and he told me I had the job I was very excited," he said, having signed a two-year contract with the Renegades.
"It's my first opportunity to be a head coach. I said it's time. Ten years of progress in state cricket and international cricket brought me to where I am now and I can't wait to be taking charge of a team and making them go in the right direction."
Saker, who was bowling coach for Victoria before joining England, said he was relishing another opportunity to work with Peter Siddle, who has extended his Renegades contract. While the right-armer took only two wickets in his 20 overs in the past season, at an average of 70.50 while conceding 7.05 runs per over, the new coach was adamant Siddle could prove his capacity to be a key white-ball bowler.
"Anyone who plays at the top level in Test cricket can make themselves into a one-day cricketer, there's no doubt about it. The skill you need to play at Test level is probably above what you need to be a one-day or Twenty20 bowler," he said.
"It's maybe a matter of him flipping his mindset and the way he trains. Obviously he's got some big selections coming up with the Ashes, and if he's not in that Ashes group he's got to do some thinking about where he has to take his game."
"He's a very adaptable guy and a very adaptable cricketer, so if he sees his role as being more of a short-form cricketer I'll do the best I can do help him with that. I've got no doubt, with the way he works, he can be a successful Twenty20 bowler."
Saker said his experience from coaching in England had extended his expertise beyond fast-bowling.
"The experience of watching a lot of cricket around the world in different places will give me a lot of experience to know that the best players and the best cricketers will adapt to the conditions that are put in front of them. That's one message that I'll be getting across. I'll be teaching the guys as much as I can about making sure they can adapt and play in all different conditions," he said.
"I've been fortunate to have had Andy Flower around me. I think he was a fantastic team coach and also a very good batting coach. Graham Gooch was another very good batting coach ... and I also had a lot of work with Graham Thorpe, who I think is one of the best batting coaches in the world.
"I was lucky enough to be around some really good batting coaches, and listening to the way they talked about batting and some of their thoughts. I've got some really good ideas I can bring into the [Renegades] group [on] how to train, how to prepare for Twenty20 cricket. I'll be sharing that with these guys."
A key goal for BBL teams, besides the obvious one of winning the title, is to make the final of the tournament in order to qualify for the lucrative Champions League Twenty20 tournament. Saker has already coached a team in the Champions League, having filled in for Delhi in 2009 when Greg Shipperd remained in charge of Victoria for the tournament, but said that was not comparable to being given chief responsibility for a BBL team.
"I'd like to make my own little stamp on a team. But it's not just my team, it's everybody that's involved with the Renegades," he said. "I'm really excited about the opportunity of leading a team to some success."
Saker has had little experience with Renegades director of coaching Tom Moody, beyond their on-field duels when both were playing, but said an hour-long strategy meeting with Moody signified a very encouraging start to the relationship.
Both Melbourne BBL teams have now replaced their foundation coaches, with Saker succeeding Simon Helmot and retired New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming taking over from Shipperd at the Stars.