Saker accused by friends of plotting Australia’s Ashes downfall

Former Victorian and Tasmanian fast bowler David Saker, who has been selected as England’s bowling coach, has been accused by his friends of being party to the enemy side and plotting Australia’s downfall in the upcoming Ashes series.

Saker was selected ahead of higher-profile candidates such as Craig McDermott and South African Allan Donald as the permanent replacement for Ottis Gibson, now the head coach of the West Indies.

“Most of the text messages I’ve got are already describing me as ‘you bloody Pom’. The Peter Siddles and Clint McKays have wished me not too much luck,” The Age quoted Saker, as saying.

Saker appreciated the good-natured ribbing from his friends, but insisted that they were right: His allegiances are already firmly in the England camp.

“Once I put myself in the interview mode [last month] I was one of them, and since I’ve been offered the job obviously I’m one of them now. Everything I’ll be doing is about trying to take down the Aussies next season. I’m looking forward to that,” he said.

Saker acknowledged that he was “not a big technical person” in terms of bowler tuition. “Bowlers are there to get wickets and I don’t care if they look good,” he said.

“As long as they’re getting wickets and their process of getting wickets is all right, I’m happy. What goes into their heads is most important in my opinion, not their technical stuff. Obviously you've got to be across the technical stuff … but my major strength is trying to get 20 wickets in a game,” he said.

Saker’s first task will be to guide the English bowling attack at the World Twenty20 in the West Indies later this month.