KEY POINTS:
KINGSTON, Jamaica - New Zealand cricket coach John Bracewell isn't ready to walk the plank, though he feels he may get no choice in the matter.
While some other rival coaches have resigned, Bracewell remained coy on his prospects with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in the wake of the crushing 81-run defeat by Sri Lanka in the World Cup semifinals yesterday.
He said a review of the World Cup campaign would determine his future.
Considering how enthusiastically he spoke about November's tour to South Africa, it was unlikely he would pen a resignation letter before leaving the West Indies.
Instead, he was armed with an NZC performance review dossier, and the appraisal of an unfulfilling tournament will continue when the squad returns to Auckland next month.
"Once we've gone through that review process I'll make that decision on whether to continue -- or that decision will be made for me," Bracewell said.
"Ric Charlesworth (NZC high performance manager) has a lot of things on the table when we get back in terms of the development plan.
"We have a month of hard cricket ahead of us, not in terms of playing, but players' contracts have to be sorted out, there's a lot of work to do."
Bracewell's career path could well have been mapped out if New Zealand had not caved in on Sabina Park.
If the Black Caps managed what no New Zealand side before had achieved by advancing to the final (1.30am, Sunday NZT) Bracewell's position would probably not be up for debate.
But the fact they woefully under-performed on their biggest day of the summer continued an alarming trend of the side failing to front up during his stewardship.
New Zealand also bombed the Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia in India last November and tanked the must-win Tri-Series match with England in Brisbane to miss out on February's finals series.
Elimination by Sri Lanka, though not unexpected, has sullied Bracewell's reputation, given his admission this was arguably the best-prepared side to leave New Zealand.
"We were as well prepared as any side that's has been put together," Bracewell conceded.
"We got all our main players on the trip (except seam bowler Kyle Mills) and for the majority of the tournament our main players performed."
He could not offer an explanation for key players going missing yesterday, saying Sri Lanka were simply too good.
"Anxiety is an interesting thing. I think our guys were up for it, I don't believe they were too up for it.
"We really have to put our hands up and say we didn't perform on the day."
Those failings had former captain Martin Crowe calling for Bracewell's four-year term not to be extended.
Bracewell was unfazed by criticism generated back home.
"That'll happen, they're be all sorts of reviews and suggestions. There will always be reaction to disappointment, and no one is more disappointed than us."
He also suggested it was an over reaction that coaches from four of the test playing nations -- India, West Indies, England and Bangladesh -- had resigned during the World Cup.
"There are some very good coaches that are moving on or have been moved on, I think that's overkill."
Bracewell was evidently keen not to join the exodus and leave a legacy of 44 wins and 31 losses in one-dayers plus a meagre nine wins from 27 tests since he succeeded Denis Aberhart in 2003.
"We've developed a good side, we've got some good things happening within the team, some really good cricketers," he said.
"I enjoy where our players are moving to in their leadership group, their review processes, the way they practice and train. I think they've moved a long way in the last two years," he said.
The prospect of test cricket with South Africa and then England home and away next summer also enthused the 49-year-old.
"A good dose of test cricket will do us the world of good -- players like Ross (Taylor) and Peter (Fulton) need it to continue their development."
- NZPA
