Adam Griffith named coach of Tasmania

Adam Griffith, the former Tasmania fast bowler, has been named as the state's new head coach. Griffith has spent six years as an assistant coach at Western Australia and in returning to his home state will replace Daniel Marsh, who was sacked as head coach in February.

Griffith faces a significant challenge to lift Tasmania's performance after a string of disappointing seasons: in 2016-17 they finished last on the Sheffield Shield points table, having finished second-last in the previous two summers. Like Marsh, Griffith was a member of the 2006-07 team that won Tasmania's inaugural Shield title.

"It's a privilege to have been given this opportunity by Cricket Tasmania," Griffith said. "I have really enjoyed my time at the WACA and sincerely thank them for giving me my start in coaching and helping me develop as a coach.

"I am now looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and I will be working hard to bring success to the Tasmanian Tigers as well as working towards more national representation."

Cricket Tasmania chief executive Nick Cummins said: "Adam impressed the panel with his clear vision around the direction he would like to take the Tigers and how he can positively influence the entire high performance pathway from youth to senior players.

"In working for Justin Langer for the past five seasons, we believe that he has had the opportunity to learn from one of Australia's best state coaches and experience first-hand the transformation that the WACA has undergone over that period.

"While Adam is originally from Tasmania, this did not figure in our reckoning when considering the best candidate, and we feel his experience, philosophy and approach set him apart from the other candidates."

During his playing career, Griffith collected 169 wickets at 34.31 in 50 first-class matches. As well as working at the WACA since retirement, he has also spent time in the Australian setup as stand-in bowling coach.