Former Australia keeper Julia Price becomes first woman coach in Men's BBL

Julia Price set up a big example for women involved in the game of cricket by becoming a coach in the upcoming men’s Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia. Appointed the head coach of the US women’s team in March this year, the former Australia wicket-keeper has joined Brisbane Heat to become the BBL’s first woman coach.

The 47-year-old, who also does commentary with Channel Seven, will join head coach Darren Lehmann once Ryan Harris departs at the start of 2020 while on Under-19 World Cup duties Down Under. Price has earlier mentored Tasmania in the Women’s National Cricket League and coached the inaugural Hobart Hurricanes in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), before stepping down at the conclusion of the tournament.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Julia Price was expected to be a contender for the England women’s team after Mark Robinson left the job but her fellow Australian Lisa Keightley filled that position.

Julia Price is excited about the new role

“I’m pretty excited about [the role], I have to admit,” Julia Price was heard saying while doing commentary at the WBBL final on Sunday in Brisbane that the Heat won by 6 wickets. “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to be around the guys and seeing how they do it differently to what the girls do. The Heat men’s team hasn’t won the crown since 2012-13.

“Having been in the Hurricanes set up for the WBBL, it will be interesting to see how the BBL does it. I had a bit to do with the Hurricanes boys but this will be a completely different level now … I can learn off both the players and the coaching staff,” she added.

Lehmann was all praise for Julia Price, who played 10 Tests and 84 ODIs between 1996 and 2005, saying she has an “excellent cricket brain” and was confident that she would find little problem in adjusting to the new set-up. Price’s last competitive game was at the Women’s Interstate Twenty20 in 2012 in which she represented Tasmania Women against New South Wales.

“We’d been chatting about whether there were some professional development opportunities for her through her USA role and we just went from there. She has an excellent cricket brain and plenty of experience as a head coach, so I can see her fitting quite neatly into our set-up,” the former Australia head coach said.