KEY POINTS:
The Vatican-style puff of white smoke is yet to emerge from New Zealand Cricket headquarters revealing the identity of two high-profile appointments.
But with the first-class season fast approaching, NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan yesterday gave off a clear vibe: don't panic, all will be revealed in good time.
In June, NZC announced a restructuring of its administration. Eleven positions were disestablished, 20 new jobs created.
Three months on, several have been filled, but the key position - the role of general manager, cricket - has not. That person would oversee all aspects of elite level and high-performance cricket, including the national team, coaching and related logistics. They would supervise team managers, contracted players, the national selection panel, a cricket operations manager, an elite coaching manager and the national coach.
Then New Zealand coach John Bracewell announced he was off to renew ties with Gloucestershire in English county cricket.
The search for his replacement, to take charge at the end of India's tour of New Zealand next March-April, is well advanced.
But three months' on, there is no one pencilled in for the GM cricket chair. Vaughan stressed the importance of the role and the desire to get the right person.
"The intention is getting someone who will help drive all the elements of our professional and elite teams through to the next level," Vaughan said yesterday.
NZC are aiming to have New Zealand push on to be among the two top teams in the international game "and [the general manager] has an enormous role to play in terms strategically how to do that and getting the best out of people. It's an absolutely critical position so we've been extremely committed to getting a person of very high calibre."
Vaughan said it had, in a sense, been frustrating.
"We'd like to have found him already, so it's slightly frustrating in that regard. But we certainly want to get it right."
Tied in with that is the identity of Bracewell's replacement.
A shortlist was sorted out. A variety of names have been linked with the job, including former New Zealand player and national under-19 coach Dipak Patel, former English professional and Northern Districts coach Andy Moles, New South Wales coach Matthew Mott, Kent and former South African coach Graham Ford, and South African coach Mickey Arthur, whose contract is up at the end of April.
Bracewell has been sounded out, along with senior players and the whittling down process is well under way.
"John knows the team better than just about anyone, so it's really important to get his view on what type of coach can add and augment and take the team to the next level," Vaughan added.
Vaughan said time is on NZC's side, in that Bracewell has six months to run, but equally they are not dithering. If the man they want has overseas commitments it may take time to extricate him from his current position.
* NZC's board meeting this Friday is expected to confirm the next chairman of the board, replacing the recently retired Sir John Anderson. Board member Alan Isaac has been doing the job on an interim basis.
