Cricket Australia appoint Mitch Marsh and Josh Hazlewood as joint vice-captains
Mitch Marsh and Josh Hazlewood will share Test vice-captaincy duties after Australia rejigged its traditional leadership model in response to the Cape Town cheating scandal.
David Warner was stripped of his title and barred from ever holding a leadership post as part of the sanctions Cricket Australia (CA) handed down six months ago in South Africa.
Marsh, who captains Western Australia and led Australia A earlier this month, was always considered the frontrunner in the leadership race to be skipper Tim Paine's understudy.
But the governing body sprung something of a surprise on Thursday, with the all-rounder and paceman Hazlewood both appointed vice-captains.
"We believe the new leadership model will best support the captain. It is a successful model used across various sporting codes around the world," chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said.
"We see it benefiting the group. Not just from a tactical perspective but also to help drive the team's values and standards on and off the field."
The appointment of Marsh and Hazlewood came after a player vote and formal interview, both of which were unprecedented measures from CA.
Hazlewood and Marsh presented to a panel that consisted of selectors Hohns and Greg Chappell, CA chairman David Peever, CA board member Mark Taylor, coach Justin Langer, team psychologist Michael Lloyd and CA high-performance boss Pat Howard.
"I think talking in front of the calibre in the room was quite daunting," Marsh admitted of the process used by CA in an interview in Dubai, where the Australian team are preparing to face Pakistan in a series of two Tests and three T20s.
"To have the opportunity to talk about my vision for Australian cricket is something that I never thought I'd get to do, to board members and legends of Australian cricket, so the whole process was a great experience."
Marsh also admitted that the process was unique, but that it signalled that Cricket Australia were moving with the times.
"It is something different for cricket, but that's the world these days, we live in the modern world and the modern game of cricket.
"Josh and I will do everything we can to make Tim Paine's life easier and that's how I see the vice captaincy role."
The ascendancy of Marsh caps off a remarkable turnaround for the 26-year-old all-rounder, who only returned to the Test team in December last year against England in Perth after a series of stellar performances as captain for Western Australia.
"I'm obviously very proud," Marsh said.
"I've spoken to my dad and I'll speak to the family tonight.
"Dad was obviously pretty rapt, it was a role that he enjoyed for a couple of years as well so, he was pretty proud."
Marsh said that the key to his success as captain of Western Australia was that he remained the same type of player, and that is a model he will take into his new role as vice-captain of the national team.
"I think probably my biggest strength is that it hasn't changed me as a person, and I certainly don't see the vice-captaincy role changing me as a person.
"I'll be that same guy around the team that has got me into this position and I think it's really important, that's leadership in my opinion."
The new process reflected CA's desperation to improve team culture in the aftermath of the ball-tampering saga.
The rethink was also caused by the fact the Test vice-captaincy has previously come with the unofficial title of captain-in-waiting, creating unwanted friction between leaders and few seamless successions.
"It was not a process designed to find the next Australian Test captain but to find two vice-captains who will support and help drive the team's goals and objectives," Hohns said.
"Josh and Mitch display great leadership qualities and we were extremely impressed by their passion and energy.
"We also feel the new model provides great balance. There is strong and even representation of both the batting and bowling groups."
Hohns noted "the demands on the modern cricketer" were also factored into the selection panel's verdict.
"Including the amount of cricket they play in a season, to what happens in the event a member of the leadership group is missing through injury," Hohns said.
Hazlewood will miss the Test series against Pakistan, which starts on October 16 in Abu Dhabi, because of a back injury.
AAP/ABC
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