Ronchi raises hand for Black Caps role
Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi has applied for the Black Caps batting coach job, in what appears a two-horse race with Auckland Aces coach Heinrich Malan.
Ronchi, who played four tests, 85 ODIs and 33 Twenty20s in an international career spanning Australia and New Zealand, confirmed he had applied to be Peter Fulton’s successor with the national side.
Malan, runnerup to Gary Stead in the race to succeed Mike Hesson as head coach in 2018, was asked whether he would chase the job but did not reply to a message.
Assuming Malan does pursue it in the hope of taking over from Stead when his contract ends in 2023, the South African and Ronchi – both 39 – look the obvious candidates to complete the
Black Caps season.
No schedule has yet been released, pending Government sign-off amid Covid-19, but it is expected to start against West Indies in the final week of November.
When it was confirmed Fulton would step aside to become head coach at Canterbury, Stead said NZ Cricket would conduct a ‘‘global search’’ for the new batting coach.
The advertisement on Seek said applicants must ‘‘know what it takes to succeed in a highperformance environment and have the ability to maintain focus, control and relationships under extreme pressure’’.
While there may well be quality international applicants, Ronchi and Malan are in the box seat, having worked in the set-up under Stead.
Ronchi, a powerful middle order batsman and occasional staff for the home opener, farewelled the Black Caps after the Champions Trophy in 2017 and returned as an assistant coach in their run to the 2019 Cricket World Cup final. He also filled in at home last summer.
‘‘It’d be great to work with the group on a fulltime basis,’’ he told Stuff.
Malan has the stronger coaching credentials, having won five titles across the formats with Central Stags before joining the Aces last year and coaching New Zealand A. He is currently preparing Auckland for the
2020-21 season which is scheduled to open on October 19.
After missing out to Stead in 2018, Malan said he was excited about future opportunities as an international assistant coach.
‘‘I’ll be definitely keeping my eyes open and if something comes up that’s a good fit, I’ll give it a good crack.’’
Stead said applications were still being collected, and when asked about Ronchi and Malan, said both impressed during their time in camp.
Ronchi worked with the
wicketkeepers and bowlers at the World Cup. ‘‘One of the advantages of having Luke was he understood the pressures because he’d been there relatively recently. Having that calm head was really good,’’ Stead said last week.
Fulton and his predecessor Craig McMillan were both test batsmen-turned batting coaches.
Stead described this job as ‘‘quite multi-faceted where you have to have good emotional intelligence and read situations well, which is part of any coaching job’’.