Cricket: Vaughan won't discuss changes

Justin Vaughan, CEO of New Zealand Cricket. Photo / Getty Images

Crunchy conversations will be the order of the week as New Zealand Cricket looks to get the national team back on track ahead of February's World Cup.

The New Zealand squad returned home from a disastrous 5-0 ODI thumping from India late last night.

There will be debriefs over the next few days but NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan was reluctant to speculate on what, if any, changes could be coming around the national team.

On one thing he was adamant: Dan Vettori's place as captain is not in jeopardy.

Nor should it, as there is no standout candidate to replace the country's best player.

"I wouldn't have thought so," Vaughan said. "We need to go through a proper review and talk about what options there are to help the side improve, but I'd be hard pressed to believe the captaincy would be one of those issues."

Vaughan is planning talks with team manager Dave Currie, Vettori, batting coach and selector Mark Greatbatch and performance director Roger Mortimer.

He knows something needs to be done smartly to revive the ailing squad which has lost its past 11 ODIs, ahead of the World Cup on the subcontinent, and, more pressing, the forthcoming tour by Pakistan, starting this month.

Vaughan was reluctant to get into speculating who might be carrying the smelling salts, but also didn't entirely rule out structural changes.

Most support staff round the team have contracts until after the World Cup.

"If we can see a clear case for that [making changes] then it's something we would have to consider. But it is getting pretty late in the piece," Vaughan said.

"The danger is obviously that significant change could sometimes be extremely unsettling. It doesn't mean to say you can't do it, but you need to go in with your eyes open."

Life after the World Cup is also a factor NZC must consider. The elephant in the corner of the NZC room is former test captain and Indian coach John Wright.

Vaughan confirmed there had been talk about the popular Cantabrian joining the squad in India at the start of their test and ODI tour, but it had come to nothing, other than Wright giving input on what to expect on a trip where the first test would start just a few days after their arrival.

"There may have been some discussion on the benefit of him spending some time over there but then we realised it was pretty short notice so it didn't go any further," Vaughan said.

"But tapping into Wrighty's knowledge should have been obvious."

Wright works within the high performance area for NZC, but Vaughan knows there is pressure to have him involved to a greater degree with the national team.

"I understand people's desire to see him attached to the Black Caps because the New Zealand public loves John, he's had a proven international record and the Black Caps aren't travelling very well at the moment.

"But we are comfortable with the process we went with around the appointment of Mark and the way the team is operating with Roger and the others."

Vaughan said there had been no discussions with Greatbatch over his role after the World Cup. "Those will be put in place in the next few weeks, I'd imagine."

BOWLED OUT

* New Zealand have lost their last 11 ODIs, all on the subcontinent.
* They have won just six of their 21 ODIs this year.
* Six ODIs at home to Pakistan in January are all that remain to prepare for the World Cup on the subcontinent in February-March.
* New Zealand Cricket have a series of meetings this week with key figures to get the national team house in order before Pakistan arrive just before Christmas.