Dipak Patel takes up New Zealand U-19 coaching post

Dipak Patel is the new U-19 coach © Getty Images

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has appointed former New Zealand player and first-class coach Dipak Patel as New Zealand Under-19 coach. The position is until the end of the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in February 2006.

Announcing Patel's appointment, Gary Stead, NZC High Performance Centre coach, said: "We are very pleased to be able to appoint Dipak to this position. He has had a distinguished career as a first-class and international player and more recently a successful coaching career across many levels including coaching the State Central Stags at first-class level".

The build up prior to the World Cup will see Patel being involved in junior academy and academy programmes, attendance at the national Under-19 tournament and a week's intensive build up at High Performance Centre prior to attending the tournament in Sri Lanka.