Time for Moles to walk away

Jonathan Millmow writes in the Dominion Post that Andy Moles needs to understand that his position has become untenable and must therefore resign as New Zealand's coach.

Mediation begins today and Moles needs to read the signals. He has the lost the dressing room and, no matter how great his love for the game, he must walk away, albeit with some sort of financial settlement.He was contracted through to the 2011 World Cup so, in the short term, should not be fumbling for a bus fare on a wet day.

What a disaster it will be if Moles digs his toes in and takes the team away next week for the one-day series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. What good can come of a setup where the coach can no longer speak with conviction? Why prolong the agony? A caretaker coach will not be hard to find among a cast of thousands at NZC.

NZC backed Moles yesterday but, with mediation 24 hours away, what else was it to do? Moles remains a competent coach but the floodlights and the big crowds have caught him out, much the way they do with an average first-class player.