NZC announces coaching changes ahead of 2023 ODI World Cup

• NZC announced changes to its coaching staff ahead of the World Cup.
• Stephen Fleming and James Foster will join the team as assistant coaches.
• Saqlain Mushtaq will rejoin the team as a spin coach.

Ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, NZC announced some changes to support staff is being enhanced with the addition of Stephen Fleming and James Foster.

Ian Bell and Saqlain Mushtaq will also be part of New Zealand’s coaching team, which will see a rotation of personnel over the next four months during their time away from home.

The inclusion of Stephen Fleming and James Foster is noteworthy due to their experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Stephen Fleming brings a distinguished IPL background, having led the Chennai Super Kings to five championships in the tournament.

He had previously been involved with New Zealand in the buildup to the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. Currently coaching the Southern Brave in the men’s Hundred, Fleming will subsequently join the New Zealand squad for the ODI series against England. This series commences on September 8, just three days after the conclusion of the T20I series.

“I think Flem will be great for players on that side of it and also good for the staff as well,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said.

“He’s got [an] immense amount of knowledge in that part of the world [India] and has coached in the IPL right from the start of the competition [from 2009], so he’s coached in all those areas where we’re going to play in. So, it might just be the little one-two percenters you can get from that information that could tip the results on your side as well. If things go well you can pick up on some of those small things.”

Regarding Foster, he has gained experience as a fielding coach and assistant coach with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He boasts a diverse coaching background, having worked in various leagues such as the PSL, CPL, BPL, BBL, and ILT20. In the past, he provided assistance to New Zealand during their time in the Emirates in 2018. Foster’s role will involve serving as New Zealand’s assistant coach during the England ODI series and continuing as a member of their coaching setup for the ODI World Cup in India.

“James spent a week with us in the UAE, think about four or five years ago when he was over there,” Stead said.

“He might have even been playing at the time. But it’s great that he has come back. He will come to the World Cup; he’s got a lot of experience in the IPL with the KKR side and in an assistant coach role there he’s worked with video analysts, so will give us a lot of, I think, information and knowledge for us to consider when we approach all the different venues in the World Cup.”

Ian Bell to replace Luke Ronchi

Ian Bell, the former England player, has been named New Zealand’s assistant coach for the upcoming T20I series against England. Following that, he will step in as the batting coach for the subsequent ODI series against England in place of Luke Ronchi. Ronchi will then resume his role for the three-match ODI series in Bangladesh in September, which is New Zealand’s final ODI engagement before the World Cup, allowing head coach Gary Stead a brief rest. During the ODIs in Bangladesh, Bell will support Ronchi and bowling coach Shane Jurgensen. Currently, Bell serves as an assistant coach for Birmingham Phoenix in the men’s Hundred tournament.

“The well-being of our players and staff is of vital importance with the sheer amount of cricket being played these days,” New Zealand manager Simon Insley said.

“Following the T20 team’s departure to the UAE (Aug 12), the team will be on the road right through until December 16 when the Test team returns, ahead of a busy home summer.”

Saqlain Mushtaq to make comeback

In addition, Stead will take a break for the Bangladesh tour’s Test leg, which begins on November 23 with a two-day practice match, just four days after the World Cup final on November 19. After previously working with the white-ball teams during the Pakistan tour in April, former Pakistan spinner Saqlain will rejoin the team for that Test tour. He was hired as a spin coach. With Jurgensen taking over as Wellington’s head coach after the World Cup, the new bowling coach’s first assignment is expected to be the team’s Test trip of Bangladesh. From November 22, 2023, through April 2027, he is scheduled to work for Wellington.

“Saqi is a great human being,” Stead said. “He has had experience with our guys in Pakistan and knows about spin-bowling stocks and has certainly added to that area of the game. He’s just got great knowledge. As a player himself, he was superb; he was a Test player. And going to Bangladesh, he will certainly add some skills and add some expertise in the spin-bowling area, which isn’t always an area that we cover all the time.”

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