Black Caps to have new coach by February

Wellington, Nov 8 : Daniel Vettori will have to don the captain-coach role for some more time as the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is expected to name a replacement for Andy Moles by next February.

NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan today said they expected to name a new coach ahead of the Bangladesh series in February, but added that they won't rush into appointing a replacement.

He also said the NZC has begun a scoping exercise to clearly define the exact requirements for the position.

''There is no rush and it's important that we make the right appointment.

''A new coach would be named by the end of the year and on the job in time for the home series against Bangladesh starting in early February,'' Vaughan said, adding that there would not be any open advertisement for the position, instead they'll actively identify 'potential candidates' for interview.

Moles resigned as New Zealand coach last month amid criticisms by several players of his performance.

Former India coach John Wright has emerged as a strong candidate for the job among others, including Australians John Dyson and Steve Rixon who are also in contention.

''The former New Zealand captain and long-time India coach Wright is willing to mentor the side, provided that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is prepared to meet certain conditions,'' sources were quoted as saying by 'The New Zealand Herald'.

Wright is reportedly prepared to drop most other commitments, such as his high performance manager role, if he can pick his own management team.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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