KEY POINTS:
The inhabitants of the Auckland dressing room in 1989-90 had no idea how much impact they would have on New Zealand cricket.
That season, the Auckland team included the current national coach, John Bracewell, the departing New Zealand Cricket chief executive, Martin Snedden, and his replacement, Justin Vaughan.
Allrounder Vaughan was in his first season; the other two, experienced internationals, were in their last.
Vaughan will start in the top job at NZC on June 7, as Snedden heads towards running Rugby World Cup 2011. Bracewell is currently overseeing an increasingly impressive tilt at cricket's world title.
Snedden, widely respected for the job he's done, is leaving size 13 boots to fill.
"He's done a super job and I'd be crazy if I didn't try and get every last bit of information out of his brain," said Vaughan.
If New Zealand win a handful of games over the next 18 days in the Caribbean, Vaughan will be stepping into the chair at a boom time for cricket in this country. He knows the spinoffs of a World Cup win are real, and could be substantial.
"Cricket is doing well without a doubt in terms of public attention. Participation rates are growing, but after England won the Ashes [in 2005] and Sri Lanka won the World Cup [1996] there was a huge surge in popularity for the game there," he said yesterday. "If our national team do well we have to take advantage of that and really capture the imagination of the public."
Vaughan's international career as a tidy allrounder began on the second bomb-affected tour to Sri Lanka in 1992 and fittingly ended at Eden Park in January 1997 in a test against England drawn courtesy of the nailbiting 106-run last-wicket stand by Nathan Astle and Danny Morrison.
Vaughan said it was too early to specify his biggest challenge, but NZC is close to completing a strategic plan.
He's no autocrat and wants to get out and talk to the people running cricket at provincial and district levels.
"I'd like to think I'm a listener," he said. "I've been on the New Zealand board for almost two years so I think I know what the issues are, but I'm sure there will be some surprises, and there's a ton of stuff I don't know so I certainly don't want to kneejerk into any decisions before I know the lie of the land."
A doctor who is moving from chief executive of a company dealing in brain-monitoring technology, Vaughan has been mad for the game since trotting out for Cornwall aged 5.
"This is a perfect blend of a sport I've loved my entire life and my role as manager and chief executive. NZC is a significant challenge. It's a larger organisation than what I'm currently leading, so it's fantastic mixture for me."
Justin Vaughan
* Age: 39
* Educated at Westlake Boys High.
* Has been chief executive of BrainZ Instruments, an Auckland-based medical company specialising in the development of brain-monitoring technology.
* Played six tests and 18 ODIs from 1992 to 1997.
* Played for Auckland from 1989 to 1997, including four seasons as captain.
* Has been an NZC board member for about 18 months and was on the Auckland board for four years.
