Craig "Billy the Kid" McDermott appointed as Australia's new bowling coach

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More... Craig "Billy the Kid" McDermott gets the gig as the Australian team's new bowling coach Malcolm Conn The Daily Telegraph May 12, 2011 CRAIG McDermott has been appointed as Australias new bowling coach. One of Australia’s finest former fast bowlers, McDermott has been a scholarship coach at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane for the past two years. He beat former Tasmanian all-rounder Allister de Winter and former South African paceman Allan Donald in a second round of interviews this week. High profile candidates such as Jason Gillespie and Andy Bichel had been ruled out following a first round of interviews because of a perceived lack of coaching experience. As the premier fast bowler of his era McDermott claimed 291 wickets in 71 Tests from 1984 to 1996. He succeeds Troy Cooley, who has been appointed head coach of the centre of excellence. Exciting challenge for coach McDermott NEWLY appointed bowling guru Craig McDermott must turn from ''Billy the Kid'' to king of the kids to deliver Australia's next gun pace battery. McDermott, 46, was today announced as successor to outgoing bowling mentor Troy Cooley who has assumed the head coach role at the Brisbane-based National Centre of Excellence. The premier Australian fast bowler of his era with 291 wickets at 28.6 in 71 Tests, McDermott beat former Tasmanian all-rounder Allister de Winter and South African pace great Allan Donald for the role. McDermott's immediate challenge will be to connect with an emerging cohort of impressive pace prodigies including NSWstar Patrick Cummins, Victorian James Pattinson and even his son, Queensland speedster Alister. He burst on to the Test scene aged 19 in the 1984 Boxing Day Test against the West Indies in Melbourne, earning the nickname "Billy". The red-head will understand the pressure young fast men face. McDermott will be also be required to gain consistent results from Michael Clarke's struggling No.5 ranked Test attack including left-arm enigma Mitchell Johnson, workhorse Peter Siddle, swingman Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger. "It's great to be back as part of the Australian team set-up again and I can't wait to get started working with the bowlers and the rest of the team," McDermott said. "We've got some challenging tours ahead in the coming months but I'm excited at the opportunity to be part of the group that helps get Australia back to number one in all forms of cricket." McDermott had been a humble assistant to Cooley - who like de Winter had an incredibly modest first class career with Tasmania - despite boasting a vastly superior international record during the West Indies' domination of world cricket. Past players including Damien Fleming will be heartened by the McDermott appointment with former Test duo Jason Gillespie and Andy Bichel not progressing past first round interviews. Fleming had called on CA to appoint a proven international veteran who could work with a rebuilding Aussie pace ensemble - capable of having ''heart to hearts'' and knowing what they were going through. Outswing specialist McDermott was favourite to become national bowling guru after being appointed as assistant to head mentor Tim Nielsen on Australia's one-day tour of Bangladesh last month. The appointment heralds a change in fortune for McDermott who has experienced his share of off-field dramas since his final Test against Sri Lanka in 1996 at Adelaide Oval. However, 71-Test ace Gillespie faces the prospect of coaching abroad for the foreseeable after being snubbed by Cricket Australia. Gillespie, with 259 wickets in 71 Tests for Australia, has also been overlooked to work with a South Australian despite the Redbacks slumping to consecutive Sheffield Shield wooden spoons. He has spent the past nine months in Zimbabwe coaching the MidWest Rhinos franchise while Donald coached Mountaineers. Gillespie told The Advertiser that McDermott ''would do a very good job''.