Assistant coaches to join TelstraClear Black Caps

New Zealand Cricket is to send three of the current Major Association first-class coaches on different sections of the upcoming series in India and Pakistan as part of an initiative to improve the quality of integration between the TelstraClear Black Caps, the NZC High Performance Centre and the Major Associations, New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden confirmed today.

The tour has been divided into three sections with each of the three coaches joining the team as assistant coach for a section.

The sections are:

1. The 'Test match' section of the tour which runs from September 23 through to October 20 and which encompasses the team's initial preparation and warm up in India through to the end of the two-match Test series against India.

2. The 'Indian triangular tournament' section of the tour which runs from October 21 through to November 18 and which encompasses a triangular ODI series with India and Australia.

3. The 'Pakistan ODI' section of the tour which runs from November 19 through to December 2 and which encompasses the Black Caps' five-match ODI series in Pakistan.

The coaches to take part are:

Bruce Blair - Coach of the State Northern Districts Knights, will assist on the first section of the tour, from September 23 to October 20.

Mark O'Donnell - Coach of the State Auckland Aces, will assist on the second section of the tour, from October 21 through to November 18.

Vaughn Johnson - Coach of the State Wellington Firebirds, will assist on the third section of the tour, from November 19 through to December 2.

Each of these coaches will also be involved with pre-tour planning and player preparation.

"This initiative will provide each of the first-class coaches with an excellent professional development opportunity and will enhance NZC's policy of high quality integration between the TelstraClear Black Caps high performance programmes, NZC's High Performance Centre and the Major Associations," Snedden said.

"There were only three places available and we decided that Otago coach Glenn Turner and to a lesser degree Central Districts' coach Mark Greatbach had already had international experience. Both were top quality international players. Glenn has subsequently had extensive coaching experience with the TelstraClear Black Caps while Mark was coach of the New Zealand team which competed in the ICC Under-19 World Cup held in New Zealand last year. We are hoping to find a development opportunity for Canterbury coach Michael Sharpe in the near future."