Unveiling the handsome paychecks of world-class coaches

(Brendon McCullum conducting a fielding session of the England team)

As a top-tier sport, cricket is a pure blend of strategies, skills, and outplays; it is played not just with power, skills, and technique but also with sheer intelligence. The potent players are trained to play on the ground with awestruck abilities and to carve these abilities; there are masterminds known as coaches, who are the architects of many renowned players and, most importantly, coaches enhance the skills of the players as a team and have a vision that is beyond limit influenced by their abstract experiences. But the fans must wonder, 'How much do these valuable coaches earn from their contacts?'. Let us get an insight into the details and information about some world-class coaches and their contracts with cricket boards.

1. Rahul Dravid- Head Coach of India

Rahul Dravid was assigned as the head coach by the BCCI in 2021 for the Limited-overs format of the Indian cricket team, which is two-time World Cup Champions. Dravid made his debut as the coach of the U-19 Indian cricket team in 2016 and secured the team two titles in the 2018 and 2021 U-19 Cricket World Cup.

(Rahul Dravid in a training session with the Indian team prior to the 2024 T20 World Cup)

Dravid was subsequently appointed as the head coach of the Indian National team in 2021 for the limited-overs format and the head coach of Test cricket in 2023. As per his contract, he receives a handsome salary of INR 10 crore annually, and under his guidance, India won the 2023 Asia Cup and secured the first runners-up spots in both WTC 2023 and World Cup 2023.

2. Andrew McDonald- Head Coach of Australia

Andrew McDonald was appointed as the head coach of the six-time World Cup-winning Australian cricket team in 2022 and has been the assistant coach of the team since 2019. He made his coaching debut in 2016 as the head coach of Leicestershire, and he was also the bowling coach of RCB and the head coach of RR in 2018-19 in IPL.

(Andrew McDonald in an interview before a tour to Pakistan)

He was appointed as the assistant coach of the Australian cricket team in 2019 and later was announced as the head coach of the Australian cricket team in 2022 for a tremendous contract amount of INR 6.5 crore annually. He led Australia towards two gigantic triumphs in 2023 as WTC 2023 and World Cup 2023 winners.

3. Brendon McCullum- Head Coach of England

Brendon McCullum was appointed as the head coach for the test format in 2022 for the England cricket team, who were the winners of the 2019 World Cup. Brendon McCullum made his debut as coach in 2019 when he was appointed as the head coach of both Trinbago Knight Riders and Kolkata Knight Riders.

(Brendon McCullum, the head coach of England in a training session)

In 2022, he was appointed as the head coach of the England cricket team for the test formats. He was assigned the responsibility of a test series against New Zealand, and McCullum turned it into a memorable victory. He was appointed as the head coach for a whopping INR 16.08 crore contract for four years.

4. Gary Stead- Head Coach of New Zealand

Gary Stead was designated with the position of the head coach of the WTC 2021 winner New Zealand cricket team in 2018. Sir Stead debuted as a coach in charge of the New Zealand Women’s cricket team and took them to the finals in the 2009 World Cup and 2010 World T20; he was also the coach of Canterbury and secured them 4 domestic titles.

(Gary Stead in a training session before the 2023 World Cup)

He was appointed as the Head coach of the New Zealand Men’s Cricket team in 2018 for his astonishing guidance in the past. The New Zealand cricket board pays him a lucrative salary of INR 1.74 cr annually, and with his assistance, the New Zealand team has secured the 2021 WTC trophy.

5. Chris Silverwood- Head Coach of Sri Lanka

Chris Silverwood was assigned as the head coach of the 2014 T20 World Cup-winning Sri Lankan cricket team in 2022. He made his debut as a coach in 2010 for Essex as a bowling coach and the head coach in 2016 and secured Essex a win in 2017. He joined England as a bowling coach in 2018.

(Chris Silverwood after a brutal defeat in the Asia Cup finals)

Silverwood soon became the head coach of the England team in 2019, and he was appointed by the Sri Lankan cricket board as the head coach for the team in 2022 for a fat paycheck of INR 50 lakhs yearly for a 2 years contract and under his guidance this team had secured the runners-up position in 2023 Asia Cup.

6. Rob Walter- Head Coach of South Africa

Rob Walter was appointed as the head coach of the South African cricket team by the governing board in 2023. Robb Walter debuted in the world of coaching as the Proteas’ strength, conditioning and fielding coach from 2009 to 2013 and then the head coach of Titans in 2013; he was also the assistant coach at Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors in IPL.

(Rob Walter getting off the team bus before a match)

He moved to New Zealand to coach the Otago Volts in 2016 and then served the Central Stags in 2021. Then, he was assigned as the head coach of the South African cricket team in 2023 (information regarding salary is not available), and under his assistance, the team reached the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup.

7. Daren Sammy- Head Coach of West Indies

Daren Sammy was appointed as the head coach of the two-time T20 World Cup-winning West Indies cricket team for the limited-overs formats in 2023. Sammy made his coaching debut in 2020 when he was designated for the post of head coach of Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League and he was retained in the 2021 season and reappointed in the 2023 season.

(Daren Sammy in a training session with his team)

He was recently appointed by the West Indies cricket board as the head coach of the West Indies men's team in 2023, but the coach's salary was not revealed. Also, under his coaching, the team could not qualify for the 2023 World Cup, which was the first time the West Indies missed it.

8. Chandika Hathurusingha- Head Coach of Bangladesh

Chandika Hathurusingha was reappointed by the Bangladesh team as a head coach in 2023 for his second stint. He made his debut when UAE appointed him as the coach for 1 year and then the coach of the Sri Lanka A team for 3 years, and then he was the head coach of Bangladesh from 2014-17.

(Chandika Hathurusingha after returning as Head Coach of Bangladesh)

Hathurusingha was the head coach of Sri Lanka in 2017 and then he was reappointed for 2 years in 2023 as the head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team and reportedly draws a salary of approximately INR 25 lakhs monthly. Under his guidance, the team has performed well in the T20 series against England and Afghanistan.