Cricket: Kenya believe the delay?

Mike Hesson. Photo / Supplied

Hesitation from New Zealand Cricket and a career re-evaluation from former Otago coach Mike Hesson mean his talents have been lost to the country for at least two years.

Hesson was shoulder-tapped for the vacant manager's position with the Black Caps several weeks ago but NZC came to a decision only yesterday, appointing Blues rugby manager Mike Sandle. When an offer to coach Kenya landed, Hesson felt he couldn't refuse.

Hesson's frustration with NZC is understandable. The 36-year-old has coached since leaving school and saw it as a logical path after failing to get first-class opportunities as an Otago opening batsman behind the likes of Matt Horne and Mark Richardson in the 1990s.

In six years as Otago coach, he guided them to a one-day championship (2007-08) after a 20-year title drought and a Twenty20 championship the following year. Hesson has also coached New Zealand A on tours and been on the three-year Sparc accelerator programme for promising coaches.

He helped mentor Nathan McCullum, Craig Cumming, Gareth Hopkins, Neil Broom and Aaron Redmond into the national ranks and is a respected confidant of Brendon McCullum. His recruitment skills brought South African-born fast bowler Neil Wagner to Otago - he's likely to play for New Zealand early next year. He also brought out England's current player of the year Jonathan Trott to New Zealand for a season in 2005-06.

Hesson's organisational skills have impressed John Wright - and both trust each other, having previously worked together on A tours. It's understood Wright wanted Hesson on board, either as manager or national selection manager, because of his intimate knowledge of the team.

The decision to hesitate over Hesson raises further questions about how much autonomy Wright has as national coach with John Buchanan, NZC's cricket director.

It seems extraordinary Hesson could be kept waiting long enough to have his hand forced to take up another offer. However, NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan says the process was not that simple.

"You've got to want it," Vaughan said. "Mike had the opportunity to be in the mix but decided to return to a coaching-based role. Sure, it's a loss.

"I understand the argument Mike is a local who had worked his way through the system but there are only so many roles available. I had long conversations with him and I'd love to think he'll eventually be back. He's embarking on an overseas adventure at a time in his life when he can still do it."

Hesson was offered the job via Tom Sears, the former head of business development at NZC who was appointed Cricket Kenya chief executive in May last year.

Hesson did not want to talk about his decision but gave the impression he would have accepted either opportunity at NZC. The selection manager has been advertised with interviews expected to be conducted midway through next month. Part of that delay incorporates the time before Buchanan came on board but it is hard not to envisage some form of dawdling prompted Hesson to leave.

The former Otago coach says in addition to his livelihood, he needed to consider his family when deciding whether to accept the International Cricket Council-backed offer to coach Kenya.

"I had already turned down three jobs and could have been left with nothing," he says. "I've worked for the ICC before, coaching Argentina in the build-up to the 2003 World Cup, and they were good employers. They made me the offer three weeks ago and we just had to work through terms.

"My family [wife Kate and daughters Holly, aged four, and Charlie, one] will live in Nairobi for two years and link up with what I'm told is an excellent expat community."

Hesson's wife is a lawyer and the chairman of the Kenyan cricket board apparently owns the country's biggest law firm. She is expected to work with them once the family is settled.

Sandle a great fit for NZC
Blues Super Rugby manager Mike Sandle has been appointed to manage the New Zealand cricket team. He takes over from Olympic chef de mission Dave Currie.

Sandle looked after the Blues semifinal-bound campaign this year. The 49-year-old began his sports management career with the Taranaki rugby team in 2003 and has since managed Auckland, the New Zealand Divisional XV and the New Zealand under-19s.

Apparently known by the rather witty nickname Roman, Sandle spent 24 years with the police force, including 11 as a dog handler, eight with the Organised Crime Unit and a period with the armed offenders' squad.

With former Otago coach Mike Hesson out of the mix, three other candidates were interviewed for the job. The Herald on Sunday understands they were former New Zealand cricketers-turned-sports administrators Stephen Boock and Richard Reid, and Crusaders rugby manager Tony Thorpe.

They were quizzed by a five-man panel consisting of former New Zealand cricket manager Sir John Graham, board member Sir John Hansen, director of cricket John Buchanan, national coach John Wright and current player Jacob Oram.

While his background is predominantly in rugby, Sandle says he played cricket at a social level for the Stratford and Midhirst clubs in Taranaki.

He was described by one insider in the build-up to the decision as "a complete professional with no ego; a background guy who'd do it for the right reasons".

Sandle intends to stay based in Auckland. His first tour will be to Zimbabwe in October.