Malan to mentor A team in UAE series against Pakistan
Central Districts Stags coach Heinrich Malan has been selected to mentor the New Zealand A team when they play Pakistan A next month.
Malan, who missed out on the Black Caps head coach role to Gary Stead, of Canterbury, will take a Stagsheavy side to the United Arab Emirates from October 12 before the home series against India A from early November.
The South African-born coach toured India late last year as NZ A assistant coach to Shane Bond.
This season’s NZ A squad, which includes CD representatives Tom Bruce, Seth Rance, Blair Tickner, George Worker, William Young and soon-to-be Black Cap spinner Ajaz Patel, will leave early next month for the UAE.
The squad for the home series against India A has yet to be confirmed.
CD chief executive Pete de Wet congratulated Malan on his elevation.
“With each passing season, Heinrich is garnering more and more recognition for his coaching acumen. We’re delighted to see his successes with the Central Stags recognised by his latest appointment,” said de Wet.
Malan’s contrcat with CD ends at conclusion of the 2018-19 season. During his absence on the domestic scene a familiar face will be at the helm.
Former Stags player and assistant coach Ben Smith — not to be confused with the Hamilton-born, Aucklandbased top-order batsman still in the squad although they have both carved up double centuries for the Stags — will return from England to fill Malan’s boots.
“Ben has extensive coaching credentials at this level and a sound handle on our New Zealand game,” said de Wet. “Having worked under Heinrich in 2016-17 during both our white-ball campaigns, he’s also already well acquainted with our systems and most of our squad.”
That put the Englishman in an ideal position to step in to ensure the green machine continued to operate smoothly,” he said.
“He will be able to hit the ground running and is looking forward to renewing his relationships with our players and support staff.” Smith arrives in Napier tomorrow. “I’m delighted to have been offered the opportunity to rejoin CD Cricket in an interim role for the start of the season,” he said in a statement.
“I thoroughly enjoyed being an assistant coach to Heinrich Malan two seasons ago and I’m looking forward to getting back to work now with the Stags in a highly competitive and elite environment, working with a group of talented and exciting cricketers.”
The Young-captained Stags will begin their campaign this summer as defending first-class champions after an undefeated Plunket Shield stint.
The red-ball competition has been restructured from 10 to eight rounds this season and begins almost a fortnight earlier, at Saxton Oval, Nelson, on October 10.
Smith will coach the team during the two opening rounds of the Plunket Shield defence and the oneday Ford Trophy competition, which has been extended by two rounds this summer and runs from October 24 to culminate with the grand final on December 1.
A veteran of 323 first-class matches and 40 first-class centuries, Smith first visited New Zealand as an England Under-19 representative. He played youth tests at McLean Park, Napier, and Pukekura Park, New Plymouth. The Northamptonshire-born cricketer enjoyed a distinguished career in county cricket for Leicestershire (1990-2001) and Worcestershire (2002-2009). He also spent two productive summers representing the the Stags as an overseas player (2000-02).
Smith holds England and Wales Cricket Board level four coaching qualifications. He has mentored Worcestershire and Leicestershire, the ECB development squad and, most recently, new test nation Ireland as a fielding and batting coach.