‘Egotistical buggers’: Former coach blasts Black Caps, claims Brendon McCullum ignored instructions

Former Black Caps coach Andy Moles (inset) has hit out at Brendon McCullum and some fellow members of the New Zealand men's cricket team in his soon-to-be-released book. Composite photo / NZ Herald

Former Black Caps coach Andy Moles has labelled some of the former players he coached in the New Zealand team “egotistical buggers” and claimed Brendon McCullum “could have been more of a team man at times”.

The Englishman had a rocky 334-day reign as Black Caps coach between November 2008 and October 2009.

He resigned after New Zealand Cricket (NZC) top brass had told Moles the Black Caps had lost confidence in his coaching.

Moles has now returned serve in his soon-to-be-released autobiography – Around the World in 40 Years – by saying he doesn’t look back on his experience with the team fondly.

“They’d taken the love of the game away from me, those egotistical buggers,” he writes in Around the World.

Former Black Caps coach Andy Moles has revealed his unhappiness about when he looks back on his tenure with the team. Photo / NZME

“They made me question why on earth I was involved with cricket.

“I was away from my family, and for a time, I hated the game. That’s how they made me feel.”

Moles’ resignation came after a 12-hour mediation meeting with NZC officials.

At the time, Moles said he had been blindsided when told players had lost faith in him and believed any problem was down to “chemistry” issues between him and some players.

Andy Moles (left) and Brendon McCullum were not a tight unit during Moles' time coaching the Black Caps. Photo / NZME

In Around the World in 40 Years, Moles paints a picture of an at-times strained relationship between himself and McCullum, who at the time was opening the batting and stand-in captain whenever Daniel Vettori was sidelined.

He said that included ignoring the strategies of the Black Caps coaching team he led, one instance being in the 2009 Champions Trophy final where Australia comfortably cruised to victory over the Black Caps at Centurion, South Africa.

Moles wrote both he and his assistant coach Mark O’Donnell had urged McCullum to opt to bowl first if he won the toss.

“Australia were our opponents in the final after they thrashed England in the other semi at Centurion where the final was to be played,” Moles wrote.

“England had made the mistake of batting first there in what was a day-nighter, which I knew from years of playing and coaching in South Africa was a bad idea because of dew in early October on the highveld. That made it difficult for spinners in particular to grip the ball.”

Andy Moles says Brendon McCullum (left) made a costly tactical blunder when he came in to replace an injured Daniel Vettori (centre). Photo / Reuters

The Black Caps were dealt a blow on game day, when Vettori suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the match.

“My assistant coach, Mark O’Donnell, and I were concerned that McCullum, who took over the captaincy, would bat first and said to him, ‘Baz, we’ve got to chase if we win the toss. We know South African conditions, we’ve both coached here, we’ve looked at the stats, you’ve got to chase’.”

But Moles writes in his book: “He replied, ‘No, no, we’re gonna bat first’.

“I said, ‘Captain, listen to both of us, we’re giving you the benefit of our experience of being in this country. You might have played here once or twice; we’ve both coached here for five years. We know the conditions here. Teams batting second here win more often than not’.”

Andy Moles was told he had allegedly lost the faith of the Black Caps dressing room. He has responded in his new book. Photo / NZPA

Despite the plea, Moles wrote in Around the World in 40 Years that his stand-in captain again replied he would bat first.

McCullum ignoring the advice would backfire badly.

“We duly batted first after winning the toss, and McCullum, opening, got a duck, facing 12 balls in the process. We made only 200. Australia knocked the runs off, with Jeetan Patel, Vettori’s replacement, conceding 44 off 6.2 overs as he was unable to grip a wet ball.

“If Daniel had played, and we’d fielded first, we’d have had a great chance as the Centurion pitch turned. The Aussie spinner Nathan Hauritz took 3 for 37 from his 10 overs, including two-order wickets.

“So, I left there very disappointed, but consoling myself we’d got to a final. It wasn’t very often New Zealand got to finals at that stage.”

McCullum – who six years later recorded a three-ball duck when captain of the Black Caps in their 2015 Cricket World Cup final loss to Australia – wrote in his 2010 book Inside Twenty20 that most players had “switched off” to Moles’ coaching before his abrupt departure.

‘Sorry about what the team needs. I’m building . . . Brand McCullum’

Moles doesn’t lack in critiques of McCullum in his right of reply in Around the World in 40 Years, including claiming he often put “building the brand of McCullum” over what was best for the Black Caps.

He also claims McCullum – who is now England’s international coach – “could have been more of a team man at times”.

That includes during a T20 series against the West Indies in 2008.

“In the first T20, McCullum, opening, had got out early on, dancing down the wicket trying to hit inside out over extra for six,” Moles writes in Around the World in 40 Years.

Andy Moles claims Brendon McCullum was fixated on developing "Brand McCullum". Photo / Photosport

“We’d got an inexperienced battling lineup and only made 155 at Auckland, and I was keen for him to try and bat longer to lay the basis for a bigger total in Hamilton.

“So, I said to him when we went out at Seddon Park to have a look at the wicket, ‘Baz, can you give me seven or eight overs of you just batting so that we can get these young kids into the game and settle the team? Pull back on the reins, get into the game and then go’.

“He replied, ‘No, Moler, I’m busy building brand McCullum’.

“’Pardon? The team needs you,’ I pleaded.

He claims McCullum responded: “No, no, sorry about what the team needs. I’m building a brand, and it’s called Brand McCullum. This is how I play’.”

Looking back, Moles wrote: “I found that very difficult – that he didn’t do what I wanted him to do for the team”.

Former Black Caps coach Andy Moles has opened up on his coaching career, including the unhappiness he has looking back on his time with the New Zealand international team. Photo / Supplied

Moles added while he respected McCullum “highly as a cricketer”, he believed there were times when “his ‘Brand McCullum’ took over”.

Round the World in 40 Years – published by Fairfield Books – has been serialised in cricket magazine The Cricketer in the UK before its release.

The Cricketer approached McCullum’s current employers English Cricket Board, who declined to comment on the contents of Moles’ book.

Moles’ book also looks at his time coaching other international teams Hong Kong, Kenya, Scotland and Afghanistan.

His stint with the latter was ended after the amputation of his left leg in 2020 after he contracted an MRSA infection.

Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience.

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