Former BLACKCAP and Central Stags assistant coach LUKE RONCHI has been appointed as BLACKCAPS batting coach for the coming summer.

Dannevirke-born Ronchi, who assisted Stags coach ALDIN SMITH in last summer's white ball campaigns, said he couldn’t wait to get started with the national side in two weeks' time.

“I’m absolutely pumped,” he said.

“I’ve really enjoyed being back with the team in recent seasons and it’s exciting to be given the opportunity fulltime this summer.

“Getting the chance to continue working with our batsmen is a great honour and I’m looking forward to seeing how I can help improve their games and best prepare them to perform at the highest level.

“It’ll be great to sit down with Gary [Stead] and the other coaches to begin planning for what will be a busy summer, with four touring teams who will all bring different challenges.”

NZC GM High Performance Cricket Bryan Stronach said Ronchi’s broad skill-set and past experiences with the team helped secure the job.

“Luke’s got a very good cricket brain and is especially strong tactically,” he said.

“He has a positive mindset and is good at building relationships but he’s also not afraid to challenge people which is a really important aspect of coaching.

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“The feedback we got from the players and team support staff at last year’s World Cup in particular was very positive and I know he’s looking forward to continuing his work with the team this summer.

“There’s no doubt that, alongside the batsmen, our wicketkeepers will also benefit from having Luke around.”

Central Stags legend ROSS TAYLOR, the all-time leading runscorer for the BLACKCAPS, said Ronchi had the right credentials to succeed in the role.

“It’s been great to have Luke back with the group in recent years and I’m personally really looking forward to working with him as batting coach.

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“He’s obviously got great experience from playing and coaching around the world and I know he will bring plenty of his own ideas to the table.

“He’s got a calm demeanour and already possesses many strong relationships within the group.”

Ronchi finished his own playing career with 16 first-class centuries, and 796 dismissals across all formats.

Article added: Wednesday 04 November 2020