KEY POINTS:
The next chapter in the long-running manager saga has been written, with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirming that Lindsay Crocker will take the team to Australia for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
"Going into an overseas tour, we felt continuity was important," NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said.
Crocker was widely expected to be relieved of his duties ahead of the Dunedin test against the West Indies but will now stay on until at least mid-February while NZC either renews its search for a replacement or decides to reappoint Crocker for another term.
The latter scenario would still appear unlikely, but Vaughan said it was still a possibility.
"Yes, Lindsay is in the frame," Vaughan said, "but I've stressed it has to be a proactive decision, not just a [convenience] appointment because we have an experienced and able manager."
Vaughan also said Craig Ross had not been ruled out.
A report in yesterday's Press was highly critical of Vaughan, using a farewell speech given to Crocker by Players' Association manager Heath Mills to imply that NZC had been dishonest in its dealings over the manager position.
Vaughan has maintained that Ross' appointment was never fait accompli, even if Mills' speech and the accommodation manifest appeared to indicate otherwise.
The CEO, appointed last year to replace the long-standing Martin Snedden, yesterday acknowledged mistakes had been made surrounding the communications over Ross and Crocker's roles in Dunedin.
"There are a number of things we would like to be able to rewind to make it different," Vaughan said. "My being on the other side of the world [at an ICC meeting in South Africa] didn't help. [General manager of cricket-elect] Geoff Allott was there but it wasn't fair on him to manage the communications around that.
"I thought I had made it clear to the Players' Association and to the players Craig's role in Dunedin but there was obviously miscommunication along the way and we have to put our hands up and say we could have done it better."
Speaking yesterday, Mills did not back down from his assertions but put them in a more conciliatory tone. He said his farewell speech was exactly that, a farewell speech, and the players were under no illusions in the week leading up to the Dunedin test that Crocker was to be replaced by Ross.
"It was clear to me that that was the understanding and it was clear to those I was meeting with," Mills said. "I guess that while things could have been handled a bit better, from this point onwards we have certainty in that Lindsay Crocker will be with the team for the remainder of the series."
Mills pointed out that while he had been critical in terms of the process involving Ross and Crocker, he believed in the restructure Vaughan was ushering in at NZC headquarters.
"The restructure has been a difficult process for some people but there is no question a restructure was long overdue and going forward there is also no question it will be good for the game."
That restructure has led to the shedding of many long-standing staff at NZC, adding to the disaffection with the top brass, but the fruits should be the delivery of a more streamlined and efficient high-performance programme.
Vaughan has also received plaudits for his commercial acumen, having secured a US$50 million (NZ$86 million) broadcasting deal with Sony Entertainment television, a new and improved clothing deal (Canterbury) and a shirt sponsor in Dubai-based DEC. As a result of those deals the player pool has increased significantly, making the country's top cricketers very wealthy.
There have been missteps along the way too, particularly with Shane Bond's enforced exile.
The Chappell-Hadlee tour begins on January 29 with a warm-up match against Prime Minister's XI in Canberra and ends on February 15 with a Twenty20 international at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In between are the five ODIs, starting in Perth.
