Moises will lead as greats return for the ‘back to the future’ Blues.
Former Australian stars Michael Bevan, Shane Watson, and Stuart Clark will participate in the NSW men’s programme makeover.
Moises Henriques will return as NSW Blues skipper this summer as the state looks to recover from one of its worst Sheffield Shield seasons in its 130-year history.
As part of a self-proclaimed “back to the future” strategy, new men’s head coach Greg Shipperd has hired Australian and state greats Michael Bevan and Shane Watson as advisors for the Blues programme.
Bevan, one of Australia’s greatest one-day batters with an average of 53.58 from 232 ODIs, will provide specialist batting coaching, while Watson, who recently secured his first senior head coach role with the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket tournament, will mentor and train players.
Former captain Kurtis Patterson was dropped for the final match of the 2022-23 Marsh Sheffield Shield after two seasons in charge, after the Blues went winless for the first time in 84 years and only the second time in club history.
The left-hander paid the price for a dismal finish to the season, in which he only reached 50 once in seven innings after the Big Bash, and stepped down after the season to focus on recovering to peak form.
Henriques, who replaced Patterson in the final Shield match, returns as full-time captain, having previously led the state in 20 Sheffield Shield and 16 Marsh One-Day Cup matches between 2009-10.
Other changes at the Blues ahead of the upcoming summer include a selection panel overhaul. Former Australia fast bowler Stuart Clark, a current Sutherland District Cricket Club committee member, was critical of selection decisions during a commentary stint on ABC Radio during last summer’s Boxing Day test.
Another former Australian quick, Geoff Lawson, has been added to the group, which also includes Shipperd, Cricket NSW Chief of Cricket Performance Greg Mail, and former Blues player and coach David Freedman.
Lee Germon, CEO of CNSW, stated that the appointments support NSW’s objective of becoming a world-class company.
“No one at Cricket NSW was happy with what happened last season and we have now taken steps to turn things around, with the aim to build consistent success,” he added.
“All of these guys have incredibly outstanding backgrounds, and NSW cricket and the Blues are in their DNA. This will give our structure and playing group a new edge.
“The programme is currently supervised by Greg Mail and Greg Shipperd, and the playing squad, directed by Moises (Henriques), has worked hard in the offseason and is ready to compete for titles.
“We have now strengthened our off-field support structure by bringing in Michael Bevan and Shane Watson’s collective experience and world-class skills.”
“Geoff Lawson and Stuart Clark are identified with the NSW Blues and have always had a link to the game. They ‘bleed blue’, just like Greg Mail and David Freedman.
“It really is ‘back to the future’ for us this season and we are confident we are in a better position now than we were prior to these changes.”
NSW will play practice matches against Victoria at Cricket Central in early September before beginning their domestic season with a Marsh One-Day Cup match against Tasmania at Melbourne’s Junction Oval on September 27.
On October 4, they will face Queensland at Cricket Central in their quest for Sheffield Shield redemption.
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