Report recommends Volts culture change
THERE is more change on the way for the Volts, with management adopting most of the recommendations contained in an independent review of the season.
The Volts have had a disappointing couple of seasons, finishing last in five of the past six tournaments.
A raft of recent highprofile departures has helped pile pressure on the coaching staff and the association.
However, the Otago Cricket Association has been proactive and commissioned an independent review of the session.
The coaching staff were marked highly for their tactical appreciation and technical expertise.
The facilities and playing surfaces also received rave reviews.
But the report has outlined ways the culture of the side can be enhanced and also suggested the reestablishment of a selection panel headed by an independent convener of selectors.
Coach Rob Walter took over as the sole selector when he arrived two years ago. Assistant coach Anton Roux and the captain, Rob Nicol, joined him to form a threeman selection panel last season.
But the review has recommended the selection meetings be chaired by someone independent of the team — someone with the cricket knowledge to challenge the other selectors.
Walter welcomed the finding and accepted a fresh view could benefit the team.
‘‘The tough thing will be finding the right people. I don’t want someone who just looks at scorecards and that is the only way they make whatever observations they make,’’ Walter said.
‘‘I would certainly like someone who is invested in the Volts and someone who watches a lot of cricket to form an opinion.
‘‘Two people who can give a potentially different view and challenge some thinking.’’
Otago high performance manager Simon Forde is seemingly wellplaced for one of the roles. He is a past selector and has also played for the side.
However, Forde felt the positions needed to be filled by people from outside Otago Cricket.
In another change, the players will get more of a voice through the reestablishment of a leadership group. The Volts have had leadership groups in the past, but they have tended to be senior players, rather than people who possessed the leadership qualities required to make the group meaningful.
Another recommendation suggested ‘‘due consideration is given to making changes to the playing personnel’’.
That has happened in an organic way with the departures of Neil Wagner, Jimmy Neesham and Derek de Boorder.
Walter squashed rumours Neesham was pushed out rather than electing to move on.
‘‘Definitely not. Jimmy made the decision . . . because he wanted a fresh start and maybe a different relationship — I don’t know. But that was his call to make.’’
To strengthen the culture of the side the report recommends the Volts build on their teambuilding activities and establish a ‘‘formal and robust induction process’’.
‘‘All the top teams do team building. It creates unity and where we probably fell short is we thought [what we did in the preseason] was going to be enough,’’ Walter said.
‘‘What needed to happen was there needed to be continual follow up.
‘‘We have this concept of whakapapa. This idea that you have your time in the light but you are part of a lineage through time, so you respect those who came before you and create something for those who will come after you.
‘‘The induction process will be connecting with that. We want to make sure that we are honouring the game in a way that it should be honoured.
‘‘We certainly have not done that in the last two years in terms of our performance on the field. We want to rectify that, no doubt.’’