Sportsfreak and Cricket With Balls have both applied for the Black Caps coaching job - that seemed like a nickable idea, so here’s mine.
Jeremy Coney, on his first tour to Australia, was given some money to buy himself a pair of cricket shoes. He came back with a twelve string guitar. This is the model for my coaching regime.
Let’s face it, we’re a small, remote, Rugby obsessed nation with no meaningful domestic scene to speak of, and we punch above our weight as it is. We’re going to embrace humor and guts, and get on with it. I reckon we’ll do brilliantly.
Our players will all be free to play in England, India, even (especially) Australia if it means they front up for the Black Caps and score runs and take wickets. All up and comers must play a year in Ireland at my old club to get some solid life experience / piss down them.
From now on, NZ Cricket’s priorities will be tests, then everything else. We’ll play with style and imagination, and we’ll never take an embarrassing towelling again.
These are the kinds of players I’ll develop:
The Latham. No nonsense opener who knows how to stay out there and make runs. Can also bowl dobbers.
The Wright. No nonsense opener who knows how to stay out there and make runs. Is also really funny.
The Fleming. Captaincy genius. Works opposition batsmen out to the extent they can’t fart without a fieldsman being on hand.
The Crowe. A ‘where did he come from?’ batsmen with shots so elegant the Aussie quicks weep into their moustaches.
The Jones. Guy with style as ungainly as using an ironing board to change a lightbulb in the dark, but scores runs.
The MacMillian. Fearless, swashbuckling shotmaker. Can also bowl dobbers.
Brendan McCullum. I’ll have two, please.
The Hadlee. Makes the ball talk, saying stuff like “You’re shit. Get back in the shed”.
The Harris. Folk hero batsman who specialises in getting us home against Australia in the tight ones. Can also bowl dobbers.
The Dan. Every team needs a guy in glasses. We may need a fat guy also.
The Bond. We just need someone really, really quick.
Other initiatives include:
The Dobber academy. We’ll play to our strengths and produce a nation of slow mediums that can tie down an end and take vital wickets.
Marketing will be immediately handed over to Mike and Paul of the Beige Brigade - this should have been done years ago. NO music will be played at the grounds when cricket is being played, ever
John Parker will be manager. Martin Sneddon will be ordered back from Rugby once he’s done a brilliant job at that.
TV and radio commentary will be handled by Leg Break and the Mike on Cricket lot, along with Jeremy Wells. JRod will do the interviews / keys in the pitch bit.
That’s my application. Remember, a vote for a smart-arse blogger coached Black Caps is a vote for New Zealand, pies for lunch, beers after work, and beating Australia.
SRPA: Disgraced All Black Jimmy Cowan made it clear he was out of his mind with drink at the time of the late night incident that jeopardised his All Black place. “I was fucko, eh. I’m talking 24 Woodys, a White Russian and $15 of chips.”