Cricket: First chance goes to Greatbatch

Mark Greatbatch says he'd like to make permanent his temporary role of national selection manager, a job that requires him to be NZC's eyes and ears around the country. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Mark Greatbatch is fast becoming New Zealand Cricket's man for all jobs.

The former test batsman was made the national team's batting coach in late 2009 after the dumping of Andy Moles.

In time, that effectively morphed into becoming the overall team coach.

On top of that, he was also a national selector, a position which he retained after John Wright replaced him as coach just before Christmas last year.

Now Greatbatch is the acting national selection manager (NSM) under the new structure put in place by NZC's director of cricket, John Buchanan, this week.

The NSM will be part of a two-man selection panel working with Wright, although there won't be much selecting to be done in the next few months with New Zealand's next overseas tour not until October to Zimbabwe.

More immediately, Greatbatch will be involved in player reviews, leading on to contract talks in the coming weeks to retain some continuity from last season.

Whether Greatbatch hangs on to the role after it's been advertised remains to be seen.

The permanent appointment is expected to be in place by about August, but there's no doubt he has first dibs on the role.

His fellow selectors from last season, Glenn Turner and Lance Cairns, are out in the cold under the new set-up, although there are hopes both can be accommodated possibly in scouting roles.

Greatbatch, 47, has a contract with NZC until the end of this year.

He's upbeat about the developments and intrigued by Buchanan's plans.

"John's come up with this idea and it's exciting. It is different, but at the end of the day you're still picking cricketers," he said last night.

"I'm hoping that this concept he's got past the board will get a good opportunity to work.

"That's the key thing. It's bold, but I think it's positive in the sense of coming up with a system which works across the board, from under-age cricket to the Black Caps and the White Ferns."

The NSM will have considerable influence, sitting alongside Wright, or the national women's coach, and the under-19 coaches. It's a one-structure-fits-all philosophy which does away with the traditional three, four or five-person selection panel.


Greatbatch has made his intentions clear.

"If I'm enjoying the role I'll put my name in the hat and see how we go," he said.

"With John Buchanan's experience and knowledge, it's good to work with new people.

"John Wright and I get on well and it'd be nice to be able to help out and contribute to improve our game."

Greatbatch sits down for several days with Buchanan next week to decide how the strategy will work in practical terms and bed it in.

He expects to spend several days each week for the foreseeable future at NZC's headquarters at Lincoln.

Buchanan this week gave an insight into what he felt would be a job description for the NSM.

He said he believed that ideally it should be a New Zealander in the role.

"The way I see it operating, it's going to require extensive administrative, organisational and managerial systems skills, so we're looking for people who can fulfil that criteria.

"Plus an understanding of the game here and the networks we need to make this thing work."

Lest it be thought of as a job parked in a dark room in front of a computer screen, Buchanan said it would also be a "looking, listening, talking position, watching cricket, gathering information and providing feedback to everybody it impacts upon".

No pressure, then.

But what if it's not working by this time next year? "It will work," Buchanan said emphatically.

* david.leggat@nzherald.co.nz