By IANS,
New Delhi : John Buchanan said he would like to make New Zealand Cricket (NZC) “a template for high-performance sport”.
The former Australian coach has been roped in as director of NZC and will take the charge in May.
“I understand there have been some performances that haven’t necessarily endeared the Black Caps to its public, and there have been some other issues around the side as well,” Buchanan was quoted as saying in Cricinfo.
“But when you come into these roles, there’s going to be a range of challenges, and that’s why you take on the job because you do believe you can make a real difference.”
Buchanan will also oversee the selection panel and implement a talent identification system, and said he was comfortable working with New Zealand coach John Wright.
“I’m very confident John and I can work well together but we’ve only had a very brief chat,” he said. “There’s still a lot of discussion how our roles fit together. In my mind I think it will work exceptionally well.”
New Zealand side suffered a string of poor performances, before the World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals.
“We always found New Zealand to be extremely competitive,” he said. “New Zealand teams have always punched above their weight, but really what we want to do is have them punch for 15 rounds and be a heavyweight contender and not just a lightweight contender.”