Australia’s bowling coach, Daniel Vettori, will temporarily leave his duties during the first Test against India in Perth to attend the IPL auction in Saudi Arabia. The auction will take place on November 24-25 in Jeddah, conflicting with the Test that begins on November 22 at Optus Stadium. Vettori, along with IPL coaches Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer, faces a scheduling challenge as they are all in Perth for either coaching or commentary commitments.
Vettori is unique in world cricket for holding a permanent assistant coaching role with an international team while also serving as the head coach of the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred. He has been Australia’s bowling coach since 2022, working alongside long-time friend Andrew McDonald. Cricket Australia (CA) values Vettori’s contributions and has allowed him to balance his national team duties with franchise commitments.
A CA spokesperson confirmed the arrangement, stating Vettori would complete the final preparations for the Test before attending the IPL auction. He will return to the team for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This marks the first time Vettori will leave midway through a Test for the IPL auction, though he has previously missed certain series due to franchise commitments.
To support the team in Vettori’s absence, CA has appointed consultants Michael Hussey and Jim Allenby for the week leading into the Perth Test. Additionally, Lachlan Stevens, the national development coach, will join the squad for further support when Vettori departs.
The situation reflects the increasing overlap between international cricket and franchise commitments, particularly with the growing significance of the IPL.
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