Adam Voges replaces Justin Langer as WA, Scorchers coach
What's the story?
Fomer Australian batsman Adam Voges has been appointed as the coach of Western Australia from the 2018/19 season onwards. He is set to replace opener Justin Langer immediately after calling curtains on his career at the state level last season. He will also take Langer's old job with the Perth Scorchers, as Langer has moved on to the bigger arenas, having been recently appointed as the coach of the Australian Cricket team.
The decision seemed almost inevitable with Voges having established himself as an integral part of the cricket set-up in the West, in both state and franchise cricket. Last year, after Voges announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, Langer was quick to recognize his contribution. "He's really tough, physically and mentally, and they're good traits for elite cricket," Langer said.
"But he's also very honest and that's a very important value, not just as a person but also in our organisation."
In case you didn't know...
Voges averaged a whopping 61.88 in Test cricket, second only to Don Bradman (min. 20 matches). He is also the only captain in the Big Bash League to have won multiple titles.
The heart of the matter
WACA CEO Christina Matthews, speaking about the Western Australian stalwart who amassed over 10,000 runs for the state in a career spanning over fifteen years, said, "It was the natural progression to appoint Adam after Justin left. As captain, Adam played a huge role in helping to develop the culture that has delivered us considerable success over the past few years."
"Adam has an understanding of all the players and we know he works well with the current staff. Adam has a playing group that believe in his brand of leadership, players who have followed him for many years and look up to him as a trusted mentor and friend."
What's next?
Dominating performances in the white ball tournaments have established WA's supremacy, with two titles in the One Day Cup in the last four years and three BBL titles in the last five years. However, their Shield performances have flattered to deceive. The title drought in four-day cricket has now extended to 19 seasons despite often fielding strong outfits comprising players from the Test bench.
Undoubtedly, Voges can bring in his years of experience along with an affiliation with modern nuances of the game to steer Western Australia in the right direction - towards the much-coveted trophy.