Manou loses captaincy of South Australia

Graham Manou has been sacked as South Australia's captain and they will look to the batsman Michael Klinger to lead the revival. In 2009-10 the Redbacks made the final of the Twenty20 competition, which qualified them for the Champions League, but finished last in the Sheffield Shield and FR Cup to signal an off-season of change.

The wicketkeeper Manou's two-summer reign is over following a mix of poor form, tactical mistakes and a nagging knee injury. The state's overhaul has also involved cutting Mark Cosgrove and Dan Cullen from the squad, while they have signed the fringe Victorian pair of Aiden Blizzard and Rob Cassell.

Klinger's appointment is a surprise considering he was not part of the Twenty20 outfit last season and the Champions League will be the immediate priority. A cautious batsman, Klinger has been outstanding in the past two summers and has won back-to-back state player of the year awards. He scored 886 runs at 63.28 in 2009-10 to follow his 1203 first-class runs in 2008-09.

Callum Ferguson, who has appeared in 25 ODIs, has been appointed vice-captain and is currently recovering from a knee reconstruction. "We have expressed the need for change within our culture," Jamie Cox, South Australia's director of cricket, said. "These two men are both enormously respected throughout the cricket community for the way they prepare and play the game and I know they will develop into a very strong leadership team."