Cricket Australia appoint Ryan Harris, Matthew Elliott as high-performance coaches for young Aussie talent

Sydney: Former Test stars Ryan Harris and Matthew Elliott were Tuesday appointed to nurture young Australian talent, with the pair`s first assignment an under-19 series against Sri Lanka.

Fast bowler Harris and batsman Elliott beat off competition from 38 other applicants to be picked as high performance coaches at the National Cricket Centre, entrusted with developing the country`s future stars.

"We have undertaken a thorough process to find the best coaches to mentor Australia`s emerging talent and we are extremely excited to have both Matthew and Ryan joining," said Cricket Australia executive general manager Pat Howard.

"Both have come through the Cricket Australia coaching pathway ... and have a strong understanding of the challenges that lie ahead in developing Australian cricketers to be ready for first-class and international cricket."

Former high performance coach Graeme Hick has since been appointed as the Australia team batting coach, while the second coaching role is newly created.

The pair start work next week. Their first assignment will be leading Australia`s under-19 side in a home series against Sri Lanka in April, with Elliott to coach the team and Harris his assistant.