Luke Wright joins New Zealand coaching staff for limited-overs series

Luke Wright, the former England allrounder, will be part of New Zealand's coaching staff during their upcoming limited-overs tours of Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands.

Wright is part of an expanded coaching group which means no one will be involved in New Zealand's full schedule of tours which begins with the Test series against England and runs through to August in West Indies.

Dion Ebrahim, Dean Brownlie and Graeme Aldridge will also be part of the set-up alongside lead bowling coach Shane Jurgensen and batting coach Luke Ronchi.

Ebrahim, the former Zimbabwe batter who played 29 Tests and is now Otago head coach, will be part of the England Test tour before Wright, who stepped down as Sussex's T20 captain earlier this year and has previously worked as an assistant coach for Melbourne Stars in the BBL, joins for the white-ball matches.

Head coach Gary Stead will miss the tour of Ireland - which will be led by Jurgensen - before returning for the Scotland and Netherlands series followed by a tour of West Indies in August. Jurgensen and Ronchi will return home after Ireland to be replaced by Aldridge and Brownlie. New Zealand used a similar mix of coaches last year.

"A key lesson from last year's Covid-enforced schedules was the importance of keeping not just our players fresh, but also our staff," Stead said. "We've got 14 weeks of non-stop cricket ahead in all three formats and across four countries - along with a T20 World Cup also looming in Australia in October.

"We need to ensure our coaches are at the top of their games throughout that period, and able to create an environment in which the team can continue to improve and thrive."

Aldridge and Brownlie have previously been involved in the national set-up while Stead was looking forward to the ideas that Wright and Ebrahim will bring.

"Along with the practicality of having an extra set of hands, it's also a way of introducing different voices and skills to the group, as well as giving the fourth coaches themselves an opportunity to learn and develop," he said.

"Dion is a promising new head coach on the domestic scene. I'm sure he will get plenty out of touring with the Blackcaps. Luke will offer in-depth knowledge of the conditions in the UK and his vast experiences in T20 cricket all around the world."