Auckland Aces head coach Heinrich Malan has been added to the New Zealand coaching staff for the upcoming tour of England. The short-term appointment will see Malan work as the fourth coach for the two-Test series against the hosts, alongside head coach Gary Stead and assistants Shane Jurgensen (bowling) and Luke Ronchi (batting).
Malan has helped out the BLACKCAPS in previous home summers and has led New Zealand A sides at home, and on tours to India and the UAE. He said he was delighted to get the call-up. "It's such an awesome opportunity. I've loved my previous experiences working in the BLACKCAPS environment and it's truly a privilege to be part of such a high-performing team," Malan said in an official statement.
"It's another step in my personal development as a coach and I hope I can learn as much as possible to take back to my domestic role next season," he added. Coach Gary Stead said Malan would focus on the fielding as well as supporting the batsmen and extra players in the squad. "With an extended squad of 20 for this tour we felt a fourth coach would be very beneficial to our preparations," he said.
"Heinrich is a quality coach who knows our environment well — so was an ideal choice to join us for this tour.
"It's also another positive for our development pathways which continue to produce not just international-ready players, but also coaches." Malan will link up with the touring squad for both camps at the NZC High-Performance Centre, from May 3-5 and 11-13.
He will depart for England with the majority of the team on May 16 and return to New Zealand, along with those members of the squad not required for the ICC World Test Championship final, following the two Tests against England.
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