Cricket New South Wales (CNSW) hired former Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle as the new bowling coach for the NSW Blues for the 2026-27 season. The 41-year-old player signed a contract to mentor the state’s fast bowlers throughout the upcoming summer. Siddle will travel with the team to all Sheffield Shield matches to provide direct coaching support.
NSW Blues head coach Brad Haddin chose his former international teammate to strengthen the squad’s coaching staff before his own first season in charge of the state team. Siddle will balance this coaching position with his playing career for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.
Peter Siddle has joined New South Wales as bowling coach for the 2026-27 season. Siddle, 41, remains part of Melbourne Stars squad for the BBL and will work with NSW across all their Sheffield Shield matches https://t.co/FTzniPNQaB pic.twitter.com/705HJeHE1D
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) September 4, 2026
Haddin Expands Coaching Team
Brad Haddin took over as head coach of the NSW men’s team earlier this year, and he has quickly rebuilt his coaching staff. Siddle and former Queensland coach Johan Botha join assistant coaches Peter Forrest and Daniel Smith under Haddin’s leadership. Haddin explained that these high-quality appointments show the organisation’s commitment.
Blue suits you, Sids 😉
Cricket NSW is thrilled to welcome Peter Siddle to the Blues coaching staff for the 2026/27 season 👏
Read more on our website 👉 https://t.co/DZfRnRoCnn pic.twitter.com/tFsDYGr2iu
— Cricket NSW (@CricketNSW) September 4, 2026
“Peter and Johan joining the Blues set-up shows that we’re committed to having high-quality people around the team,” Haddin said. He added that Siddle brings vast knowledge and models the exact behaviour that he wants from NSW cricketers. Haddin expressed strong confidence in his new-look coaching group ahead of an exciting season.
What Siddle Did Before Coaching
Siddle retired from international cricket in 2019. He made his Test debut in 2008 and represented his country in 89 matches across all formats. Siddle took 241 wickets in total for Australia.
Domestically, Siddle played mostly for Victoria—winning two Sheffield Shield titles—but also spent three seasons with Tasmania. He mentored Victoria’s young bowlers during his final years in Melbourne. Siddle retired from first-class and 50-over cricket in March 2025 to focus on shorter formats. He finished his first-class playing career with 792 wickets. This represents the highest tally for an Australian fast bowler since Michael Kasprowicz retired with 959 wickets in 2008.
He still plays T20 cricket for the Melbourne Stars, regularly bowling above 140kph. Siddle took 28 wickets over the last two seasons, earning a one-year extension for BBL|16. Siddle expressed excitement about joining the Blues. “It’s incredibly exciting to be joining the NSW Blues this season,” Siddle said. “I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to mentor this talented crop of players… I can’t wait to get stuck in”.
Botha Joins as Spin Consultant
Johan Botha joins the staff temporarily to prepare the spin bowlers. Botha played 123 matches for South Africa and captained them 21 times. He also captained South Australia and the Adelaide Strikers before retiring in 2019.
Botha has since coached in the Pakistan Super League, the Caribbean Premier League, and the Big Bash League. Recently, he led the NT Strike in Darwin and assisted the Netherlands national team.
Botha admitted his Queensland departure disappointed him. “I think we were doing good stuff, and obviously the people at the top didn’t think that,” Botha said. Queensland replaced him with James Hopes. Botha will now help the NSW Blues prepare for their season opener.
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