More runs please

30 01 2010

Newly-appointed national coach Mark Greatbatch offers his views on his New Zealand role to Nagraj Gollapudi of Cricinfo with plenty of well-planned quotes to the fore.  His coaching will primarily focus on the team’s batting doldrums, leaving captain Daniel Vettori to continue his leadership role in the bowling department:

“In Test cricket you need to take 20 wickets and you also need to score a decent amount of runs. In the past, we have taken wickets but haven’t scored enough runs and that is one area we are looking to improve,” he told Cricinfo after a long Saturday.

Greatbatch, who played for New Zealand between 1988 and 1996, will perform the dual responsibility of being part of the national selection panel along with his new appointment. Interestingly, despite being head coach, it is reportedly understood that Greatbatch’s primary focus will remain the batting department with Daniel Vettori continuing to hold the rights on decision-making concerning strategies and selections. The appointment just puts an official stamp on the duties that Greatbatch has already been performing in the last few months.

[…]

Greatbatch understood the various challenges in the pipeline but was relaxed. His source of confidence remains the same as that of the whole of New Zealand: his captain, Vettori. “I admire the way he plays,” Greatbatch said in praise of Vettori, who started his career when his was ending. “He has his own methods. It is a little bit unique to him but again he has found his A game. He consistently performs with both ball and bat and is a great leader. He is nice and relaxed in the dressing room and I’m looking forward to complementing that.”

Source: Cricinfo, 30 January 2010





One eye on the World Cup

27 01 2010

Former New Zealand batsman Mark Greatbatch, who played for the national side from 1988 to 1996 and is now a national selector, discusses some of the new and somewhat unorthodox picks for the New Zealand teams to play Bangladesh with Sam Worthington from the Dominion Post.  The teams include new caps Peter Ingram and Andy McKay, who have a combined age of 60.  Greatbatch says they’re picking players with a view to the buildup for the Twenty20 World Cup this year and 2011’s one-day international World Cup:

Greatbatch said McKay had improved greatly over the past three months.

“He’s got a great attitude, he’s fit and strong and he’s been consistent. He’s a wicket-taker and he’s got a bit more pace than some.”

Greatbatch said selectors had one eye on this year’s Twenty20 World Cup and next year’s one-day World Cup. McKay had leapfrogged the likes of Brent Arnel because of his point of difference as a left-armer.

Greatbatch said Ingram was also in contention for the test side, which is named early next month.

Source: Dominion Post, 26 January 2010