Crowe, Bond join NZC cricket committee

Former cricketers Martin Crowe and Shane Bond, along with Gerard Gillespie, have been included in the New Zealand board's cricket committee as non-board members. The committee, which was established following the team's 0-4 defeat in Bangladesh, includes the board's chief Chris Moller, and members Stephen Boock, Rob Hart and High Court judge Sir John Hansen.

The committee's remit runs from the grassroots all the way up to the highest level. Crowe and Bond were added to provide expertise on elite cricketing matters, while Gillespie came in for his grassroots knowledge of the game.

"The NZC board believes the formation of the cricket committee with the appointment of such highly talented external members is a very significant step, and recognises the need to harness the knowledge, experience and skills of the entire cricket family," Boock said. "The objective of the committee is to assist the board to promote, develop and foster cricket in New Zealand by gathering information from all areas of cricket, combining it with the views of the committee and providing this information as advice to the Board."

The board refrained from making sweeping changes to the team following the Bangladesh debacle, but called on the players to lift their performance during the tour of India. Despite punching above their weight in the the three-Test series, New Zealand could not prevent top-ranked India from winning 1-0. The one-dayers that followed, however, did little to suggest an upswing in New Zealand's fortunes and they presently trail 0-4, with one game to play. They have now lost their last ten completed one-dayers, a streak that began in August.