| London, May 20 (ANI): England bowling coach David Saker has ruled himself out of taking on Craig McDermott’s role as bowling coach of the Australian cricket team. During a break in play at the England-West Indies Test at Lord's during the week, the Australian told The Sunday Age that he is happily entrenched in his current role. It is now a little over two years since Saker was lured away from his position with Victoria under Greg Shipperd, and he is enjoying the job as much as ever. While he is fully aware of the Australian situation - and has had a steady stream of texts from cricketing mates from Melbourne asking about his intentions, - for now, home is wherever the England cricket caravan takes him. For Saker, wife Lisa and their two children, life couldn't be better. All have quickly embraced English culture, and are comfortably set up near Stratford-upon-Avon in England's midlands. The 46-year-old former bustling pace bowler even turns out for his local village club when his schedule permits. From the moment Saker joined the English ranks at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in April 2010, he has enjoyed a good working relationship with Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad and co. He has always rated Broad highly, and was suitably pleased when the Nottinghamshire pace bowler bounced back from injury on Friday by taking 7-72. It has also helped that the team has enjoyed notable successes, not least the Ashes victory in Australia two summers ago, and a 4-0 whitewash of India last year. But a thrashing by Pakistan three months ago, followed by a drawn series against Sri Lanka soon after, has meant that England's hold on its No. 1 Test ranking is tenuous to say the least. A series against South Africa looms in August, after a one-day series against Australia in July. The fact that Saker has been allowed significant input into selection and tactics has also made the job all the more stimulating for him. He had his stamp all over the selection of Tim Bresnan for the Melbourne Test 18 months ago, is an unabashed advocate of giant pace man Chris Tremlett, when fit, and was proactive in replacing a second spinner with a pace bowler in Sri Lanka recently. As you'd expect, he has his finger on the international pulse of the game in all formats, enjoying a coaching stint with Delhi Daredevils a few years ago. With another World Twenty20 coming up in September he is an avid watcher of trends in the current Indian Premier League. But the big one for Saker is next year's Ashes series. He is fully aware of the exciting batch of young Australian pace bowlers who have burst onto the scene in recent times and is already talking enthusiastically about plans he hopes to put in place to better the Australian batsmen. Saker says he will eventually pull up stumps and head home to Australia. But for now, he is in no doubt that his role for England is far from complete.(ANI) |