Andrew McDonald adds to impressive coaching portfolio

Newly appointed interim head coach Andrew McDonald has led the Australian side to a 1-0 series victory over Pakistan, their first overseas Test series win since 2016.

The 40 year-old has received plenty of praise for his first assignment on the job ahead of an imminent decision from Cricket Australia (CA) over who the next head coach will be.

A highly regarded figure internally, McDonald's leadership, dedicated mentorship and work behind the scenes is starting to bear a public face as he adds to an impressive coaching portfolio.

"He's fantastic," captain Pat Cummins said after Australia's 115-run win in the third and final Test last Friday.

"Very diligent, very thorough, strategic, very organised."

"He's a huge part of this tour win ... and all the support staff. It's not just the players that walk out, we have got a squad of 30-odd people working so hard. He has been an important part.

CA has started canvassing potential candidates to take over from Justin Langer, with McDonald the widely reported favorite after an incredible series victory against Pakistan last week.

McDonald's portfolio

McDonald first started with the Australian men's cricket team as an assistant coach to Justin Langer - a post he occupied from October 2019 until Langer's resignation in February 2022.

Since then, he has taken the Australian side to two series victories - 4-1 in a five-game T20I series against Sri Lanka at home and 1-0 in a three-Test series against Pakistan away.

McDonald with Mitchell Stark

After retiring as a player, McDonald coached Leicestershire County Cricket Club in England, as well as his home state of Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades.

In his very first season as head coach of Victoria, he won the Sheffield Shield, before taking the Renegades to their first title in 2018/19.

He had numerous stints in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the first of which was being assigned the bowling coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was then appointed as head coach of the Rajasthan Royals.

While that coaching endavour didn't call forth much fortune by way of victories for the Royals, it was another feather in the cap for the Victorian, who put himself among the select few of the Australians to impact the IPL in a coaching capacity.

His coaching accolades are highly sought after, providing the perfect context for why the best players are not always the best coaches.

McDonald played four Test matches for Australia as an allrounder (medium-pacer), the first of which was against South Africa in January 2009. He then followed that up with three more Tests against the same nation shortly after in February/March of 2009, but this time an away series.

He will be most fondly remembered for a superb caught-and-bowled, as well as being hit for six, four balls in a row.

In his time as a player before the Australian Test team, he played for Victoria and South Australia at Sheffield Shield level, as well as the Australian Under-19s, Australia A XI and the Prime Minsiter's XI.