New Zealand aim to have coach by end of year

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is confident that it will have a new coach in place by the end of the year, in time for the home series against Bangladesh starting in early February. There were reports in New Zealand's Sunday newspapers that John Wright was keen on the job and Duncan Fletcher has also expressed his interest in replacing Andy Moles.

John Dyson has also said he would be interested and the former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon is hoping to get the job again. There have even been suggestions from the former captain Martin Crowe that the current skipper Daniel Vettori should be allowed to guide the side without a coach in the long term.

That is the scenario being played out in the short term as the squad takes on Pakistan in the UAE, where the one-day series is locked at 1-1. NZC's chief executive Justin Vaughan said the temporary situation was working well, after Moles stepped down as coach shortly before the team flew out to Abu Dhabi.

"The current Black Caps coaching setup is working effectively," Vaughan said. "Reports back from UAE are that the team are training and preparing well and morale is very positive. The result in the second ODI was very encouraging. The squad has a strong coaching and support team, and Daniel is continuing to provide leadership as captain, with additional input from Mark Greatbatch who is there as a selector."

New Zealand could well use the same setup during their home Tests against Pakistan, which begin later this month. Vaughan said NZC would not be hurried in to making a decision, although they were keen to have a coach in place by the time Bangladesh arrive early next year.

"This will be a thorough process," Vaughan said. "There's no rush - it's important that we make the right appointment. We have begun a scoping exercise to clearly define the exact requirements for the position. This is an essential first step which needs to be completed before any meaningful conversations can be held with potential candidates.

"The position will not be openly advertised, and we shall actively identify potential candidates we want to talk to. I can confirm I have received a number of strong inquiries from both New Zealand and overseas."

The departed coach Moles has said he would like to take a break from cricket for a few months after the turmoil that surrounded his exit.