Outgoing Steve Rixon slams CA, Pat Howard following axing as Oz assistant coach

Outgoing Australian national team assistant coach Steve Rixon has reportedly slammed Cricket Australia and high-performance chief Pat Howard, saying that he hopes that Howard was a good rugby player.

CA announced that Rixon would not be part of Darren Lehmann's staff as the head coach endeavours to assemble new-look backroom set-up around the Ashes winners.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, although Rixon maintained that he is on good terms with Lehmann despite his axing, he took a parting shot at his former employer, saying that he has very little respect for CA and does not agree with their tendency to interfere with a lot of the cricketing decisions.

Asked on the program whether it was Howard, CA's general manager of team performance, who had an issue with Rixon, the former Test wicketkeeper sarcastically said that he hopes that Howard was a good rugby player.

Howard had said that he had deliberately taken a step back from the day-to-day Australian team to allow Lehmann the freedom to operate in his own way.

Rixon will remain as fielding coach for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the report added.