BREAKING: Aussie great unveiled as new Blues coach after ‘absolutely brutal’ cleanout

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has been unveiled as the new Blues coach, with Cricket NSW confirming the appointment on Wednesday morning.

The 48-year-old will replace Greg Shipperd as New South Wales mentor ahead of the 2026/27 season, with the new Sydney Sixers coach yet to be confirmed.

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after Shipperd’s final day in charge of NSW, with the Blues’ Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at Cricket Central finishing as a tense draw on Tuesday afternoon.

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“I am delighted to welcome Brad Haddin back to Cricket NSW to drive our Blues program forward and challenge for further titles,” Cricket NSW chief executive Lee Germon said in a statement.

“Brad is a highly regarded coach with experience at international and franchise level, plus a deep understanding of the NSW way of playing. This stems not only from his history with the Blues, but also his strong connections to country NSW and Premier Cricket.

“As a player, his outstanding leadership and willingness to always take the game on made him a revered teammate and formidable opponent. These traits have carried through into his coaching career.

“We are proud to have Brad guiding our Blues squad and look forward to working with him from June.”

Haddin, a NSW legend who played 66 Tests and 126 ODIs for Australia before his retirement in 2015, previously served as the national team’s fielding coach and worked as an assistant coach for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. He was awarded Cricket NSW life membership in 2024.

The 48-year-old will reportedly be accompanied by assistant coaches Nicholas Bertus, Daniel Smith, and Peter Forrest.

“NSW cricket has been an integral part of my life and to rejoin the fold as Blues Head Coach is a proud moment for myself and my family,” Haddin said in a statement.

“Wearing the baggy blue was incredibly special and gave me some of the greatest memories of my career.

“I am looking forward to working with our current crop of talented players to bring back an aura to NSW cricket and to have a team with a formidable, distinctive style of play we can all be proud of.”

Shipperd took charge of the state team following the departure of Phil Jacques in 2022, leading New South Wales towards a One-Day Cup title last week. However, the Blues failed to reach the Sheffield Shield final during his four-year reign, with Cricket NSW announcing in January it would part ways with the 69-year-old at the end of the season, despite the veteran coach being contracted until the end of 2026/27.

Earlier this week, Fox Cricket revealed that Shipperd took a cheeky parting jab at the Cricket NSW Board ahead of his exit from the organisation, parading the Dean Jones Trophy outside the room where Haddin was interviewing for the job.

Elsewhere, former New South Wales spinner Stephen O’Keefe revealed that Blues assistant coaches Ali de Winter and Shawn Bradstreet were stood down during the final day of the Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia in Sydney.

“They have sacked two assistant coaches in the middle of the game,” O’Keefe told SEN.

“They’ve had a meeting in the morning, grabbed two of the assistant Blues coaches and said, ‘Your services are no longer required.’

“To get rid of the likes of Shawn Bradstreet (and) Ali de Winter, who are just great servants of Cricket NSW, and do it in that fashion is absolutely brutal and extremely disappointing.”