Cricket: Edgar might return as CEO

Bruce Edgar. Photo / Getty Images

One of the country's most successful opening batting partnerships could be reunited at New Zealand Cricket.

Bruce Edgar is considering applying for the position of chief executive. If successful he would work in tandem with New Zealand coach John Wright.

The two left-handers played together in 35 tests, opened together in most of them, and were household names from the late 1970s until Edgar's international retirement in 1986.

They had a reputation for grit against some of the world's most formidable attacks from the West Indies and Australia.

Edgar and his family are understood to be keen to move back to New Zealand in the next year or so. The 54-year-old has been based in the Sydney financial industry for the past seven years but has been involved in New South Wales cricket as a high performance batting coach. He has mentored famous clubs like St George and Parramatta and last year helped coach son Corbin's under-16 team in the AW Green shield competition - arguably the most prestigious tournament in the world for that age group.

Incumbent CEO Justin Vaughan's official exit next month could bring Edgar into the frame although Gavin Larsen's exit as Wellington boss last month could open up that role as a stepping stone. Edgar's business and financial acumen make him a strong candidate. He is also a big advocate of the contemporary professional environment which did not exist during his era.

His passion for the game is obvious as noted in the Herald on Sunday last October when calling for NZC to establish closer ties with Australia to get out of its international slump: "We see it in rugby, league, football, basketball and netball, so why not cricket?" Edgar said.

"There needs to be some interchange with first-class cricket because New Zealand's standards are so far behind. It's like they're just fiddling around getting game time when they need to lift the quality.

"New Zealand first-class cricket ranks at about first-grade level in the Sydney competition. Kiwi players need to be exposed at a higher level before they hit the international scene. It reflects in the culture - I'm amazed at the depth of talent, passion and commitment to succeed in Australia."

Applications are yet to be received but Edgar can be listed as interested. Another expected to put his name forward is David White who has a gamut of chief executive experience as well as playing two tests and three one-day internationals for New Zealand in a first-class career spanning 15 years. White spent five years as chief executive of Auckland Rugby and the Blues, and four in the same role with Wellington Rugby and the Hurricanes before being appointed CEO at Bristol in the English premiership.

The 50-year-old is a member of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association board and is currently director of operations for Rugby Travel and Hospitality (NZ), the company which has the rights to those services for the World Cup. His contract is understood to be up early next year.

Northern Districts chief executive David Cooper is another in the mix after showing innovative leadership since taking over in 2004. Cooper has been behind bold marketing plans like a pink Twenty20 campaign to raise funds for New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation and has pushed for private provincial T20 franchises to be considered as a means of earning revenue through potential commercial owners for that format of the game.

He has also been at the forefront of bringing big names to New Zealand for the HRV Cup - like Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan who was helicoptered on to the ground for his first game at Mt Maunganui. He contracted South African Herschelle Gibbs and Australian David Warner last summer.

Cooper's CV also includes Whangarei's Cobham Oval qualifying to host its first one-day international, when NZ meet Zimbabwe in February. Over the past three seasons, Northern Districts have twice won the domestic one-day title and captured the Plunket Shield in 2009-10.