With talent from South Africa propping up cricket in New Zealand at myriad elite levels it shouldn't come as any surprise that coaching here will have a presence, too.
Consequently the Central Districts Cricket Association has appointed Heinrich Malan as the Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags coach for the next two seasons.
CD chief executive Hugh Henderson said last night while they hadn't seen it that way, Malan's appointment was in keeping with a South African influence in cricket here but perhaps more so in England pertaining to players and coaches.
"It started pre-Apartheid there [in England] and from our end we have three guys in our squad here who were born in South Africa," Henderson said of the Stags who have former Black Caps wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk, batsman Carl Cachopa and Manawatu allrounder Roald Badenhorst.
Several talented youngsters are playing in the age-group representative teams in the fragmented CD region, let alone the rest of the country for other major associations at first-class level or internationally.
Malan is at the helm of the Easterns Cricket first-class team as head coach, based in Benoni, Gauteng.
"He was a first-class player into his mid-20s but he saw his career as a cricketer was a little limited, as it can be in South Africa, so he turned his hand to coaching," Henderson said of the 32-year-old who is relatively young for a first-class coach in New Zealand and having CD assistant coach and former Stag Lance Hamilton, 40, alongside him should give a predominantly young squad a modicum of affinity.
A panel comprising Henderson, CD director of cricket Craig Ross, ex-player and board member Campbell Furlong, Hamilton and players' representative Jamie How conducted the interview via Skype before rubber-stamping the appointment last Thursday. Malan signed the contract on Monday morning.
"There's a lot of game time between the trio on the panel," Henderson said of Hamilton, Furlong and How.
Malan said in a statement the Stags were an exciting outfit and was looking forward to working with them to continue their success.
"In my role with Easterns I have been responsible for developing players into successful first-class cricketers and I look forward to doing this in a new environment," said the former right-hand batsman, who could bowl medium pacers, from his home in Pretoria.
"Central Districts has a number of promising young players coming through their ranks and it is an exciting prospect to be given the opportunity to work with them."
Henderson said shortlisting applicants to five was in itself indicative of the calibre of coaches but also a reflection of how many other candidates were capable of doing the job outside those who made the cut.
Only one of the five shortlisted applicants was from New Zealand but he felt it was also a testimony to what the CD brand meant to the cricketing world.
"It's a tough job to be a first-class coach in New Zealand," he said after Alan Hunt stepped down following mutual agreement despite leading the CD to one-day Ford Trophy and four-day Plunket Shield titles in his maiden three-season stint in first-class cricket.
Aucklander Hunt has since missed out on the Auckland Aces job as well as the Northern Districts one to James Pamment three weeks ago and is putting his feelers out for employment in the finance sector.
Malan, who assumes the mantle of coach on August 1, will be based in Napier and will report to Ross.
"Planning and organisation are fundamental to coaching the Stags, given the geographical challenges that we face in Central Districts," Ross said. "Heinrich has demonstrated that this is a real strength of his and when coupled with his knowledge and understanding of coaching he is an excellent addition to our team."
Henderson said the geographic and resource challenges that Malan faced in his region in South Africa were compatible with what CD faced here.
"He'll be used to dealing with players being 10 hours' drive away."
Malan's prowess in three formats of the game, including Twenty20, is also a pivotal prerequisite.
"That's our biggest challenge because recently we've dominated in one format of the game but not the others. It's not a slight on the others but it's good to [have class] in all three formats," said Henderson after two summers ago the Stags' attitude took a hiding when they made a premature exit during the HRV Cup T20 that dangles a lucrative carrot to world clubs' Champions League tournament.
Malan will also retain existing resources such as ex-Black Caps coach Mark Greatbatch and Manawatu sports psychologist Gary Hermansson.
Henderson also hopes to revisit CD's schedule after most players "hadn't slept in their beds" after Christmas.