Cricket: Who wants the Black Caps coaching job?

Mark O'Donnell has coached Auckland to multiple titles from two stints in charge. Photo / photosport.nz

Auckland's Mark O'Donnell will apply to be New Zealand's next cricket coach. Wellington's Bruce Edgar will not.

Those are the latest gleanings in the hunt to find Mike Hesson's successor. Applications for the role close today.

O'Donnell comes into the reckoning on the back of a strong record with Auckland across two tenures. In the first, from 2002-03 to 2008-09, he led the Aces to five titles comprising three first-class, one List A and one Twenty20 championship. In his return to the role from the 2015-16 season, he has triumphed once in each format. He also has past experience in a Black Caps assistant coach role, before the Hesson era.

Edgar, a New Zealand selector from 2013-15, could not commit to the time which a successful applicant would be expected to spend away from home.

If NZC seek a Hesson replica, as indicated, they will opt for an introverted rather than extroverted personality.

Calls placed around the cricketing traps gravitate back to Canterbury coach Gary Stead, Central Districts coach Heinrich Malan and Scotland and former Northern Districts coach Grant Bradburn being qualified contenders.

Attempts to contact Stead and Malan were unsuccessful.

Stead has guided Canterbury to three Plunket Shield titles in the past five seasons and the 2016-17 Ford Trophy. The 46-year-old has also worked as an assistant during Hesson's tenure and coached the White Ferns, meaning he is well-acquainted with NZC structures.

Malan helped CD to last season's Plunket Shield and back-to-back Ford Trophies in 2015 and 2016. The 37-year-old previously told the Hawke's Bay Today he would wait until a job description was released before making a decision.

Bradburn has previously indicated his intention to apply for what has been a long-coveted role. The 52-year-old's contract with Scotland finishes this year. His 2008-13 Northern Districts' tenure returned two Plunket Shields and two List A titles. He has coached the New Zealand A and under-19 sides and is now working as an assistant to John Wright at Derbyshire in England's domestic T20 competition.

Northern Districts and former national coach John Bracewell, T20 specialists Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori, and incumbent Black Caps assistant Craig McMillan are not expected to apply.

A decision on the 43-year-old Hesson's successor is expected by the end of next month.