Cricket: Black Caps offered help from Greg Chappell

ADELAIDE - New Zealand cricket coach John Bracewell has not ruled out tapping the knowledge of former Australian captain Greg Chappell as the tourists plot to avoid a repeat of their first test humiliation.

Chappell, 56, has offered to counsel the New Zealand side ahead of the second test against Australia starting in Adelaide on Friday, after claiming their batting plan in the opening match was fatally flawed.

"It's brilliant to hear, but I haven't been approached," said Bracewell, who would not confirm whether he would seek out the Australian legend to appear at training sessions today and tomorrow.

Chappell offered his services free of charge in what appears a neighbourly bid to prevent another New Zealand batting catastrophe akin to the 76 they scored in the second innings of the opening test in Brisbane on Sunday.

Bracewell, who has presided over six test losses since taking over the side last summer, said he was open to suggestions and input from cricket experts.

"I'd talk to anybody. Cricket is cricket, everyone has knowledge . . . [but] you don't take it all as gospel as well. He [Chappell] is a knowledgeable cricketer. He's coached here [South Australia] and obviously knows this ground."

Far from seeing Chappell's offer as undermining his authority, Bracewell noted the 2001 New Zealand touring side used the expertise of former Victoria and Australian batsman Dean Jones.

"We've constantly used some of the great [Australian] bowlers of the past to help coaching. There's always been a relationship of information sharing over the recent years."

Chappell said he was alarmed at the lack of intent New Zealand's top six batsmen showed in the first test, which the tourists lost by an innings and 156 runs.

He advocated a change in the tourists' mentality.

"They are trying to occupy the crease, but the problem with that is you lose the reason to bat," Chappell said.

"The reason you bat is to score runs and what I detected with some guys, and Craig McMillan is probably the best example, is that he is not then playing his natural game.

"When you go out to survive you get into a defensive mentality, and against the likes of [Glenn] McGrath, [Jason] Gillespie and [Shane] Warne you just become sitting ducks."

He said technically New Zealand were "okay" and any minor problems were essentially a "flow-on" effect from their negative mindset

- NZPA