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From keeper to coach: Watling builds a new innings

Aaron Goile

BJ Watling hopes he might one day be back on the international cricket stage, as a coach. The former Black Cap pulled stumps on his playing days following New Zealand’s momentous World Test Championship final victory over India in Southampton in June, but has wasted little time in transitioning into a new role in the sport.

The 36-year-old, regarded as the country’s greatest test wicketkeeper/batter, has landed a role with his former Northern Districts association which sees him working with their men’s academy’s Waikato-based players, as he dips his toes into the field of coaching.

‘‘I’ve always explored coaching,’’ Watling told Stuff. ‘‘I’ve been doing level ones and twos [courses] throughout my career, so I’ve got a passion for the game.

‘‘And this role with ND popped up after the world championship final. It’s reasonably part-time and it’s a good way for me to slowly develop into the next phase.’’

In announcing his impending retirement in May ahead of the Black Caps’ tour to England, Watling had said a key factor in stepping away was to be able to spend more time at home with his young family.

This role has been the perfect opportunity for him to not sacrifice so many hours away from wife Jess and sons Hudson, 4, and Miller, 1, while at the same time setting the foundations for his big goal.

‘‘Yeah, I definitely do,’’ he said when asked if he wanted to coach at the top level.

‘‘I guess at the moment it’s kind of a timing thing, and I’ve got to work my way through the children’s lives and figure out maybe when the appropriate time is to start going a bit harder in terms of the coaching side, because I know it does involve a heck of a lot of time away and travel etc, and probably more so than when I was a player.

‘‘But I should have a couple of years here to just slowly build my way, go through things, and this academy role for ND’s a good starting point. Hopefully there’s a couple of other things that pop up not too far from home at this stage.’’

Watling’s role sees him oversee a group of around 15 players aged 15-20 in Tuesday and Thursday after-school/work sessions, while he also spent some time working with the ND men’s side while regular coach Graeme Aldridge was away with the Black Caps in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

BJ Watling explains his coaching philosophy

While Watling had dabbled in bits and pieces of coaching throughout his playing career, he said it was nice to now be able to get fully stuck in, even if he admits he’s still schooling up on his bowling expertise.

‘‘I’m pretty laidback, I want the boys to obviously develop, but I want them to enjoy the game, too, because it’s a huge part of why we play cricket,’’ he said. ‘‘So I do want them to be having a bit of fun at these sessions.

‘‘It’s certainly a challenge trying to figure out actions, and I haven’t dived too deep into technical stuff with the boys, I guess more around what they could plan in a game, tactics, we’re just sort of discussing that.

‘‘It’s great I’ve got Graeme

Aldridge [a former fast bowler himself] to throw a few videos at and just get him to double check if there’s anything that needs adjusting there.’’

Meanwhile, with the Black Caps back in action in the test format Watling made such a name for himself in – 75 matches, 265 wicketkeeping dismissals (top for New Zealand, ninth all-time), 3790 runs at 37.52 including eight centuries (one double ton) – is he at all getting itchy feet with this tour of India, as Tom Blundell steps into his shoes?

‘‘Not so much,’’ he admitted.

‘‘I haven’t had a huge urge to go out there, I mean I haven’t picked up a bat for about five months now, so it’s telling me that I’ve probably had enough.

‘‘But we’ll see as the summer goes on, and we’ll see if that itch comes back.

‘‘I definitely will be trying to watch the tests, I won’t be watching the whole thing, but at appropriate hours and I’ll probably record bits and pieces and have a look through.

‘‘I will enjoy watching Tommy go about his work, but I’ll just be watching the game, and obviously I’ve got a few good team-mates there from over the years that I’m wishing all the best in what we know is a very tough place to win games of cricket.

‘‘So I’m genuinely interested to see how we go, and hopefully we can put in some good performances to start the second cycle of the Test Championship as well.’’

‘‘I want the boys to obviously develop, but I want them to enjoy the game, too, because it’s a huge part of why we play cricket.’’

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2021-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://stuff.pressreader.com/article/282484302032823

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