Bowling coach McDermott signs new deal with Australia

SYDNEY: Australia bowling coach Craig McDermott, who has been credited with turning his country´s pace attack into one of the most potent in the world, has signed a new two-year deal, Cricket Australia said on Monday.

The 49-year-old former paceman returned as Australia´s bowling coach ahead of last year´s home Ashes series against England, his second stint after working with the fast bowlers for a year starting May 2011.

Australia demolished England 5-0 at home and then won a series in South Africa to climb back to the top of the test rankings with the pace battery widely proclaimed as the best in the world.

Since his return, McDermott has worked only with the test pacemen but in a new role will now also help out the limited-overs bowlers as Australia prepares to co-host the 50-overs World Cup with New Zealand next year.

Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris have been Australia´s standout bowlers during their recent success, with the reliable Peter Siddle, young gun James Pattinson and spinner Nathan Lyon also making telling contributions.

McDermott, who took 291 wickets in 71 tests for Australia, said the goal would be to maintain the good work with a home series against India coming up, followed by next year´s World Cup and the Ashes in England.