Cricket: Trist looks like new NZ coach

David Trist is expected to be named New Zealand cricket coach on Monday.

Trist's superior coaching background seems to have tipped the scales his way ahead of former test captain John Wright and the other short-listed candidates, Dipak Patel, Denis Aberhart and former English county professional John Stephenson.

Current coach Steve Rixon is stepping down at the end of the tour of England and a replacement is needed for New Zealand's next assignment, a tour of India in October.

Trist, now coaching Auckland, has had success with Canterbury during his stint from 1989-1993, and overseas in South Africa, the Netherlands and Hong Kong.

As predicted in the Herald last month, it seems Trist is viewed as a safer option and Wright and former team-mate and now Gloucester county coach John Bracewell are seen as future prospects rather than current contenders.

Wright is into his third season with English county Kent after a distinguished test playing career spanning 16 years.

The appointment of Trist would require some shuffling among New Zealand coaches.

Trist still has two years to run on his contract but Auckland Cricket Association chief executive Lindsay Crocker said he would be released if his bid was successful.

"We'll be disappointed to lose him if he gets the job because he had us heading in the right direction again, but we certainly won't be standing in his way," Crocker said.

"We recognised a couple of years ago he was an excellent coach and that is probably one of the reasons why New Zealand is looking at him."

The logical replacement for Trist would be Patel, though he has a year to run on his part-time contract with Central Districts. Patel still lives in Auckland and is also employed by the Howick-Pakuranga club.

Central could then promote last season's New Zealand "coach of the year", Mark Greatbatch, who is currently running its development programme.

Central Districts chief executive Blair Furlong was due to meet Patel and chairman Basil Netten earlier this week but the meeting was postponed till today.

Furlong said he was aware of the speculation in cricket circles.

"It seems as though Trist is a shoo-in for the job [New Zealand] so things may change in Auckland. But as far as I am concerned Dipak isn't going anywhere and we're certainly keen to keep him."

The New Zealand manager's job, to be vacated by John Graham after the tour of England, drew an impressive list of candidates.

Former New Zealand captain Jeff Crowe is favoured to fill that role. - NZPA