Former captain Taylor to help train Oz`s next generation of leaders

Sydney: Former Test captain Mark Taylor has been recruited to help train Australian cricket`s next generation of leaders, according to reports.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, while the Test team appears in good hands, with Michael Clarke having just led them to Ashes victory, Cricket Australia is moving to develop and improve the leadership skills of the next tier of male and female leaders. The program will include Test middle-order batsman Steve Smith - rated by Ricky Ponting and Ian Chappell as a potential future Australian captain - and others, such as Aaron Finch, Alex Doolan, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Moises Henriques, Ashton Agar, Phil Hughes, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Alex Keath and Will Bosisto, the report said. Southern Stars Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy have also been enrolled, the report added. Drawn up by CA`s sports psychologist, Dr Michael Lloyd, the year-long initiative will begin with a two-day leadership workshop in February in Brisbane where Taylor will be closely involved with players nominated by their states and rubber-stamped by national selectors, the report further said. A CA director, Taylor led Australia in 50 Tests between 1994 and 1999 and is widely regarded as one of the country`s best captains, the report mentioned. During the program, players will also be given an emotional intelligence assessment and receive one-on-one feedback on the profiling data compiled about them, according to the report.