Australia’s bowling coach Daniel Vettori will leave the team during the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against India in Perth. He will head to Saudi Arabia to attend the IPL 2025 mega auction.
This comes at a dramatic time as the first Test begins on November 22 at Optus Stadium in Perth, while the IPL auction is set for November 24-25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Vettori who is also the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), faces a tough situation with his dual roles. He will miss part of the first Test to attend the IPL 2025 auction.
According to ESPNCricinfo, Vettori will complete preparations for the first Test before traveling to Saudi Arabia. After the auction, he will rejoin the team for the rest of the series.
Interestingly Pat Cummins Australia’s Test and ODI captain is also the captain of SRH in the IPL, adding another layer to Vettori’s commitments.
Vettori isn’t the only one facing this challenge. Ricky Ponting (Punjab Kings head coach) and Justin Langer (Lucknow Super Giants head coach) are also leaving their commentary duties during the Perth Test to attend the IPL auction.
Vettori’s case stands out because he manages several coaching roles. Besides being Australia’s bowling coach he’s the head coach of SRH in the IPL and works in The Hundred league. Since joining Australia’s coaching staff in 2022, Vettori has been highly valued by Cricket Australia (CA) for his expertise.
Despite his international duties, CA allows Vettori to continue his franchise commitments. A team spokesperson confirmed: “We are very supportive of Dan’s role as Head Coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad. Dan will complete final preparations for the first Test before attending the IPL auction. He will then be with the team for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”
This is the first time Vettori will leave a Test midway to attend the IPL auction. Last year, he managed to balance his commitments when Australia toured Pakistan by traveling to India for the auction between matches.
To avoid future scheduling issues Cricket Australia has already started looking for a full-time bowling coach. This coach will step in whenever Vettori is unavailable during Australia’s tours.
