Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Netball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Important SN update for SouthlandHealy: Pressure must be put on Aussie batting coaches
SEN • June 27th, 2025 10:57 am
Aussie cricket great Ian Healy has put pressure on Australia’s lead batting coach Michael Di Venuto.
Healy’s comments on the former Tassie batter come after Australia’s top order again failed in the second innings of the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados.
While Healy doesn’t usually like to put coaches in the gun, he has concerns with Di Venuto given that he believes Australia’s batting at Test level has regressed since he took over in 2021.
Healy also put the pressure on batting coaches around the country at state level given there are not many domestic cricketers knocking the door down to earn a spot in Australia’s batting lineup.
“We’re not ones to put the pump on coaches, I love to put it back onto the players more than coaches usually,” Healy said on SENQ Breakfast.
“But, as I said, Australian cricket's batting head coach and every state batting coach (should be under pressure) because there's not enough runs being scored around the nation either.
“So, Michael Di Venuto - a friend of mine who is a good coach and a good man – has held the job since mid-2021.
“In this time, our national team batting has regressed in performance at Test level.
“That’s all that’s important to me, the performance, I don’t care how you do it or what will make it easier for you. Just get it done.”
Watching from afar, Healy pointed out a couple of areas where he thinks Australia could improve from a Test batting perspective.
He called on the coaches and players to focus on their nerves, technique, decision-making and balance so the pressure isn’t constantly placed on the middle and lower order to get the side to winning scores.
“They're not making it easy for themselves at all. Players have got to deal better with nerves by the sound of it,” Healy said.
“They need to create sound techniques and bat with balance so you can make really sound decisions ball after ball for long periods.
“At the moment, we're failing many of these points, and the lower order is having to deal with it either recovering the score or losing.
“It's just too hard at the moment. We've got to clear those minds of our top order.”
Australia are currently 4/92 in response to the West Indies’ first innings score of 190 in Barbados. The Aussies lead by 82 having scored 180 in their first dig. Travis Head (13 not out) and Beau Webster (19 not out) will begin Day 3 for the visitors.
Play starts again at midnight, listen to every ball LIVE on SEN and the SEN app.
