Lance Cairns takes up coaching role in Christchurch

Lance Cairns, recently axed as a New Zealand selector, has been appointed director of coaching at the Marist-Harewood club and St Bede's College in Christchurch. He replaces Garry MacDonald - who has taken up a coaching role in Nelson - and returns to the city where he once lived for five years.

Cains said his strength lay in being able to identify potential at an early stage and develop it accordingly. He believed it was more important to foster discipline than tamper with technique. "I like working with them [young players] and getting bowlers working on line and length, and batsmen working on building an innings," Cairns told the Press. "Sometimes we tend to interfere with techniques when this [their current technique] is what has been working for the youngster."

Cairns said that he still had something to offer, despite being removed as national selector. "They have gone down a new path, but I would still like to be involved with New Zealand Cricket."

Cairns, 61, played 43 Tests and 78 ODIs, and will take up his new position in mid-August, about six weeks before the start of the Christchurch cricket season.