THERE was never any question that Jack Potter was going to get the job when he applied to be Oxford University's new coach.

After all, only a handful of people in the cricketing world have comparable track records at developing young talent.

As the inaugural head coach at the Australian Cricket Academy, Potter was responsible for producing some of today's top international stars.

Shane Warne, Michael Bevan, Justin Langer, Stuart Law and Brendon Julian were among the players he groomed during his 3 years in charge.

But while the Academy is now widely regarded as the finest institution of its kind in the world, Potter says it was not always evident that it would be such a success.

"It was in at the deep end stuff in the early days," he said. "People think of the Academy as this state-of-the-art place, but when we started it in 1987 it was not like that at all.

"I thought that I would just turn up and coach, but when I got there I found that I was virtually setting the place up.

"The boys all had to get jobs. That meant working night shifts for some, which was tough on them.

"We had so little cash that we had to house a lot of them in the rough port area of Adelaide. It's a wonder they survived at all." A batsman, Potter toured England with Australia in 1964, but did not play in any of the Tests.

Now 61, he retired at 29 to start a career as a teacher, before becoming the first ever Victorian coach in the mid 70s.

Potter has strong views on the current state of the game in this country.

"There isn't enough opportunity for young players to progress," he says. "Too many professionals come through the private school system.

"In Australia, if you are good enough, then someone, somewhere will give you a game.

"Look at Glenn McGrath. He's from the back of beyond and yet he gets spotted. In England he would have slipped through the net.

"But the new leagues here are going to help, because they will give people from any background a route to the top."

Potter is just as forthright about Oxford University cricket.

"They get a lot of kudos from cricket, but the university authorities don't give enough support. "It surprises me that it is so difficult to get really good players in to Oxford. Things are looking up though. Now that we are going to be an ECB-approved academy along with Oxford Brookes it will be easier to get really top players in.

"I might be around when all that happens. I've agreed to do one year here and then we'll look at perhaps another two.

"But I don't want to run the academy - I've done my time."

Story date: Wednesday 12 May

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