Cricket: Bichel back in frame

Andy Bichel. Photo / Getty Images

Australian fast bowler Andy Bichel is a strong contender as the new Black Caps bowling coach.

Bichel looms as an option in the wake of Allan Donald's decision to work for South Africa, despite a verbal agreement to stay with New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

A number of factors point to the 40-year-old being strongly considered although several obstacles need to be overcome. Before Donald's appointment, it is understood coach John Wright wanted Bichel but he turned the role down because of commitments coaching Papua New Guinea as well as freelance work in Queensland and Chennai with the Indian Premier League.

New Zealand Cricket would need to offer him plenty of flexibility to take the role. He wants to continue living in Brisbane so he doesn't have to relocate his young family - Bichel is married and has children aged 11 and eight - exactly as Donald's predecessor Shane Jurgensen did.

Bichel's most recent role was looking after the likes of Tim Southee as bowling coach in the Stephen Fleming-coached Chennai Super Kings who won back-to-back IPL titles last month.

He was also bowling coach under NZC's new cricket director, John Buchanan, when he coached the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2009 and Brendon McCullum captained the team.

Buchanan was his Queensland coach when the state won its first Sheffield Shield in the 1994-95 season, after 63 seasons of trying and has spoken to Bichel about the role.

"At this stage it might be difficult to make it work around his other commitments but he still has an interest.

"I am looking at 4-5 candidates, many of whom also have other commitments and I need to discuss the best way forward further with John [Wright]."

Bichel is happy to continue the dialogue for now.

"I'm working through it with John [Buchanan]," he said. "At this stage touring with the Black Caps would mean a lot of time away from home when I'm already away three months with the IPL."

Sources spoken to by the Herald on Sunday almost universally described Bichel as a 'great team man'; an art he perfected as a prolific 12th man competing against Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee for a spot in Australia's starting XI.

Bichel played tests and one-day internationals for Australia between 1997 and 2004.

However, Bichel is probably best remembered by New Zealanders as the number nine batsman who top-scored with 64 to save Australia's World Cup match against the Black Caps at Port Elizabeth in 2003.

Shane Bond is considered a strong future candidate for the New Zealand bowling coach role - but has too many current commitments such as an MBA degree to work on in the meantime.