New Zealand men’s cricket team’s long-standing manager Mike Sandle would be stepping down from his role at the end of summer to take up the position of the CEO at Taranaki Rugby.
The former New Plymouth police officer turned rugby coach has been with the team since 2011 and is highly credited with helping it to improve over the last decade.
Sandle managed six ICC men’s cricket World Cup campaigns, including three World Cup Finals and the World Test Championship success in Southampton last year.
The New Zealand men’s team are now ranked number one in ODIs, third in Tests, and fourth in T20Is by the ICC, and were recently named Team of the Year at the Halberg Awards.
Mike Sandle said that leaving a career that had been such a large part of his life for so long wasn’t an easy decision.
“It’s been a huge honour and a privilege to manage the BLACKCAPS over the past decade. It’s been an incredible ride and I’ll have memories that will last a lifetime,” he said.
“I’m grateful to NZC for having the faith to appoint me back in 2011 with only rugby experience as a manager. I want to thank (NZC CEO) David White, (NZC High-Performance Head) Bryan Stronach and everyone at NZC for their support throughout my time in cricket.
“I especially want to thank all the players, coaches and support staff who I’ve been lucky enough to work with over the years.”
New Zealand’s upcoming series against the Netherlands would be Sandle’s last assignment with the New Zealand Cricket before he joins Taranaki Rugby on April 11.
NZC chief executive David White acknowledged Sandle’s valuable contribution in shaping the successful team and wished him the best for his future endeavours.
“Mike’s played a massive part in driving the culture of the team and I think we’ve seen this, not only in the on-field performance but also in terms of the values the players have carried as a group,” said White.
“He has so many qualities that make him perfect for the job: he’s level-headed and patient, measured whether winning or losing, dependable, and great under pressure and, beyond anything else, he has the respect and trust of the players.
“I’d just like to thank him for his commitment and dedication, and his wife Michelle and daughters Rebecca and Renee, for sharing him with us for so long.”
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