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“I’m the assistant coach of Australia, and I get more staying with that job than on the contract they sent through”
Australia assistant coach Steve Rixon has revealed that “Sri Lanka Cricket sent me a contract which was really embarrassing” when they approached him about becoming their next head coach.
Despite not formally applying for the job, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) still approached Rixon as they were underwhelmed by the 11 applications they received.
“Sri Lanka Cricket sent me a contract which was really embarrassing, I have to say, because it was so poor,” Rixon said. “I’m the assistant coach of Australia, and I get more staying with that job than on the contract they sent through. It was really quite embarrassing for an international coach.
“In the end I just texted back several times and said, ‘Look, we’re talking massive differences in the job package, and I’m not here to debate it with anyone, but where I would be coming from is a lot bigger than what Sri Lanka can afford.’ I was looking forward to sitting down and talking to someone, but no one’s really given me that respect I suppose, to be able to do that. And I said no, I’m not really interested.”
SLC had evaluated their candidates through a series of interviews, but Rixon stated that he wasn’t willing to fly all the way down to Sri Lanka just for an interview.
“Don’t expect me to come running over there to do an interview,” he said. “Interviews are a waste of time. You either want someone, and you know that, or you don’t.
“I’ve been around first-class cricket for 20-odd years as a coach. I played for 15 years as a player. It’s not as if I’m unknown. I think they’d know what I can and can’t do without sitting me down in front of a group of people. It was a bit disappointing the way it was processed, and in the end I thought it’s not the way to go.”
Rixon revealed that SLC’s decision to sack Geoff Marsh in 2012 and the low pay had both contributed to his decision to turn down the head coach offer.
“What happened with Geoff Marsh would have been one of the things that played on my mind,” Rixon said. “I’ve also talked to a lot of Sri Lankan players and the fact that they don’t get paid when they’re meant to paid. The administration has had their share of controversies, and a number of things.
“But to be honest, Sri Lanka was always one place that intrigued me. I liked Sri Lanka and I think the country is lovely and, of all the Asian countries, it’s by far the one that appeals to me the most. With the sort of people that you were dealing with around ten years ago, I thought they were good people and it did interest me. I did think about moving to Sri Lanka, but the harsh reality is you don’t have enough money in the set-up.”
Rixon added that the income SLC were offering would only appeal to coaches who are trying to make a name for themselves and not to those who already have years of experience coaching international teams.
“If you want to get a coach who is a career coach and just making his way, and that sort of thing, no problems, you might get someone for that,” he said. “But you’re not going to get someone who’s been around and coached internationally, and coached all over the world, unless you’re prepared to pay a reasonable dollar. You’re making a big sacrifice to go live in Sri Lanka, and to turn your life on its head. To do that, you really need to have a package that’s certainly acceptable.”