Andrew “Shedders” Shedlock, the new Director of Cricket at Durban High School, is a University of Stellenbosch sports science graduate and internationally respected coach and cricket-specific fitness and conditioning consultant, with the CV to prove it.
Andrew is a DHS Old Boy (Class of 1981) and was a top international sportsman in his day, captaining the SA Schools Water Polo team and representing South Africa in Men’s Water Polo. His name can be found on the honours’ board in the Hall foyer.
However, it was on coaching Cricket that he focussed his career and he returns to DHS with an impressive set of credentials. For the last 25 years Andrew has coached at several levels of the game, from coaching the KZN Provincial U19 Team, to the KZN “B” Team, to assisting Graham Ford and Eldine Baptiste in the coaching of the KZN Dolphins. He was the Head Coach and Manager of the KZN Dolphins Cricket Academy. Hashim Amla (Proteas), Imran Khan (Proteas), Yusuf Abdulla (Proteas 20/20), Daryn Smit (SA A) and Ahmed Amla were under his direct supervision in this academy. He also coached and worked extensively with Lance Klusener, Jonty Rhodes and Shaun Pollock.
Andrew was assistant coach for the Royal Bengal Tigers in the ICL league for two years and this gave him opportunity to work with International players such as Rohan Gavaskar, Deep Das Gupta, Craig McMillan, Hamish Marshall and Andre Adams. More recently he was the Head Coach of the Gemini Arabians in the MCL in 2016. The team won the 2016 Tournament held in Dubai. As coach of this team, he worked with greats such as Virender Sehwag, Kumar Sangakkara, and Muttiah Muralitharan.
In 2003 Andrew established, and continues to run, a successful private academy called Shedders Cricket Academy. He works with youngsters from school age through to professionals. His Academy operates from the DHS Indoor Cricket Centre and his premises in Durban North.
Andrew is excited to be back at DHS, the place which gave him a first-class grounding. His goal is to nurture DHS cricket back to what it was in its heyday, a world renowned cricketing school. He says he knows it will take time and not happen overnight, however, he believes School has the talented players who have the ability to obtain the results; we need to give guidance to improve play and secure as many wins as possible, thereby instilling self-confidence. His initial goal is for the DHS teams to play good, positive cricket, to believe in themselves and to bring back pride and a winning culture.
To this end, Andrew has reintroduced pre-season friendlies to ready our players for the season. In addition, he will be running an U17 cricket festival at School in October. He also aims to bring back traditions and to re-establish the link with Old Boys via the return of the 1st XI vs Old Boys game.
Andrew, as the Director of Cricket, will work closely with the 1st XI, however, this focus will be to work with all the cricket teams of Durban High School.
We welcome Shedders back to DHS and look forward to a revival in Cricket at the school with the proudest cricketing history in the country.
“It’s good to be back.”
Akhil Naidoo/Sharon Drew
Grade 8A/Editor of The Herald
