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Twelve months ago, New Zealand was in the same situation as they find themselves in at the moment – looking for a coach. Last time the job was won by Northern Districts and former Warickshire batsman Andy Moles, virtually unopposed.
Predictably, in his year at the helm, the Black Caps continued to deliver mediocre results. Although the outcomes didn’t change dramatically in the Moles era, the team’s reputation did.
In the wake of Moles’ resignation, New Zealand cricket now has a much wider and more highly credentialed range of coaches to choose from; Former Black Cap coach Steve Rixon has publicly expressed his desires for the job, and the experienced pair of John Wright and Duncan Fletcher is also believed to be interested.
So one would ask what has changed through another underachieving period for the Kiwis?
Over the past twelve months, many coaches have begun to acknowledge some of the talent around the New Zealand setup that Black Cap sides of the past have lacked.
Over the year, Martin Guptil and Jesse Ryder have consistently showcased their abilities on the international stage and Ross Taylor continues to develop himself into a world class batsman. In Daniel Vettori, the side possesses one of the best tweakers in the world and a maturing captain, Brendon McCullum is re-finding his destructive self and even young Tim Southee is recovering from a drop in form.
Perhaps the biggest factor of all though is Shane Bond who is a world class fast bowler amongst a typically workmanlike attack.
One of the most ironic factors about this entire debacle is that now the coaches are on offer, they are most likely not wanted by the Black Caps. Influential captain Daniel Vettori has publicly stated that he would prefer a coach who is prepared to take a back seat in the team hierarchy rather than dominate proceedings like many mentors (John Bracewell) prefer.
Its difficult to imagine a guy like Steve Rixon or Duncan Fletcher taking that sort of approach to the role. However, this theory has been successful amongst some of crickets superpowers.
Australia (John Buchanan), India (Gary Kirsten) and South Africa (Mikey Arthur) all have head coaches who are happy for their captains to lead from the front.
Ricky Ponting and MS Dhoni have both excelled with the responsibility and Vettori seems keen to do the same.
The early signs are good for the New Zealand skipper who recently enjoyed a rare “away” series ODI triumph over Pakistan and a strong showing in the Champions Trophy in which he is understood to have taken a prominent role in the team management.
In my opinion, John Wright seems the man for the job.
With international experience and distinct tactical nous, he is what is required for this side going forward. Concerns have been expressed over Wrights management skills, but with Daniel Vettori dominating proceedings and manager Dave Currie at hand, their should be no such problems.
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