Black Caps coach: Shane Bond, Rob Walter, Shane Jurgensen, Luke Ronchi in the mix as interviews begin
Saturday, 24 May 2025
Former Black Caps fast bowler Shane Bond has confirmed his interest in the vacant national men’s cricket coaching job, as the shortlist takes shape and the makeup of the selection panel is locked in.
Bond, a former Black Caps bowling coach during the Mike Hesson era who had success with Mumbai Indians in the IPL, told The Post he had applied for the role but declined to comment further.
Interviews are under way, The Post understands, with Bond, South African Rob Walter, current assistant coach Luke Ronchi and another former bowling coach Shane Jurgensen seen as the leading contenders.
Incumbent Gary Stead, who took over from Hesson in 2018, and New Zealand Cricket remain silent on his intentions. Last month an NZC release said Stead was stepping away from the white ball formats and was considering whether he would apply for the test-only job, should the roles be split.
“I now want to evaluate my options but still feel I have coaching left in me, albeit not as head coach across all formats,” Stead said in the statement.
Whether the job is split into red and white ball formats for the first time remains uncertain, and would depend on the interviews and discussions with the shortlisted candidates.
The panel who will appoint the new coach is stacked with current and former Black Caps.
NZC chief executive Scott Weenink will be joined by board members Dion Nash and Roger Twose, plus two current players which The Post understands are Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell.
Former wicketkeeper BJ Watling was the solitary active player on the panel which appointed Stead in 2018.
Of the other high-profile coaches who could be candidates, former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie told The Post in January he would not chase the job while Daniel Vettori is head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, and locked in for the next season as assistant to Australian coach Andrew McDonald.
In terms of an early favourite, the drums have been beating for some time in cricket circles for Walter, a former Otago and Central Districts men’s coach who was highly regarded when he left to be South Africa’s white ball coach. Walter stepped down after the Champions Trophy, leaving test coach Shukri Conrad in charge across all formats.
In an interview with The Post this month, Walter would not confirm his interest in the Black Caps role but said he was currently unemployed “and coaching international cricket is ultimately where people want to be”.
Asked about potentially splitting coaching roles, he was non-committal.
“We've seen teams do it differently. The majority of international sides still have a single coach and probably maneuver their assistants around to create a gap for head coaches to take breathers here and there,” Walter said.
“That's the general trend. England have gone back from two [coaches] to one (Brendon McCullum), West Indies have gone back from two to one (Darren Sammy). I don't think there's a right or wrong.”
Bond and Jurgensen were both highly regarded and successful in overseeing the Black Caps pace attack’s rise to one of the world’s best units. Jurgensen, a former Bangladesh head coach, was at the helm of Wellington Firebirds last season.
Ronchi also has his supporters, having impressed when taking the head coach reins for certain series when Stead was given a break.
The new coach’s first tour won’t be until mid-July. The Black Caps’ next scheduled match is on July 14, a Twenty20 tri-series in Zimbabwe also including South Africa. They then play Zimbabwe in two tests in Bulawayo, starting on July 30 and August 7.
The only other Black Caps tests scheduled before the end of the next season are three against West Indies at home pre-Christmas. The T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February and March, which is preceded by a white ball tour of India, is the first major assignment for whoever is handed the coaching reins.