Who Is Shane McDermott? PCB’s New Fielding Coach Explained

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly signed Shane McDermott, a well-known Australian fielding coach, to join the national men’s cricket team as their new fielding coach for all formats. McDermott is respected for his work across several international teams and brings years of valuable experience to Pakistan’s coaching staff.

Shane McDermott, who is 44 years old, was one of the two final candidates being considered for the job. He comes with an impressive background in both international and domestic cricket. He holds a High Performance Level Three Coaching Certificate, which is a top-level qualification for professional coaches. Over the years, he has worked with teams in Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, helping improve their fielding standards.

Sources say that McDermott was recommended by Mike Hesson, the newly appointed head coach for Pakistan’s white-ball teams. Hesson and McDermott have worked together before and share a good working relationship. McDermott is expected to join the Pakistani squad soon, most likely before the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.

An official announcement from the PCB is expected to be made later this week.

From 2022 to 2023, Shane McDermott worked as the Assistant Fielding Coach for the Bangladesh national cricket team. Before that, he spent three years as the main fielding coach for Sri Lanka’s senior men’s team. During his time there, he also led the Sri Lanka A team program, helping to develop young talent. More recently, he worked with the Afghanistan national team, continuing his role as a specialist fielding coach.

In addition to his international experience, McDermott worked for seven years at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. There, he served in different roles such as Interim Assistant Coach, Fielding Coach, and Analyst for Australia’s A team. His time in Australia helped him build a strong foundation in modern coaching techniques and performance analysis.

Fielding has been a long-standing weakness in Pakistan’s cricket setup. Poor fielding has cost the team several important matches in big tournaments. With Shane McDermott’s arrival, the PCB hopes to fix this issue. His appointment is part of a larger effort to improve Pakistan’s overall performance by bringing in experienced professionals and creating a more disciplined coaching environment.

The next few months will be busy for the Pakistan cricket team. After the T20I series against Bangladesh, the team will head to the Caribbean for a five-match T20I series against the West Indies. This will be an important period for the coaching staff to make an impact and prepare the players for upcoming challenges.

By adding Shane McDermott to the coaching team, Pakistan gains a coach with international knowledge and technical skills. His role will be crucial in helping the team become more professional, disciplined, and competitive in all formats of the game.

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