Published: Oct 09, 2014, 01:00 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 09, 2014, 01:19 PM (IST)
Wellington: Oct 9, 2014
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has praised their cricket team coach Mike Hesson’s attention to detail as the national team plots their Cricket World Cup campaign. The unheralded Hesson has slowly but surely revived a struggling New Zealand outfit since being appointed in July 2012.
Hesson gained a two-year extension to his contract last month on the back of recording three successive Test series wins, two against the West Indies and one against India, as well as some encouraging one-day results. And that is where the focus falls now as New Zealand looks to prepare for a strong ICC World Cup 2015 which they co-host with Australia in February and March next year, stuff.co.nz reported.
Looking to end their frustrating run of World Cup semifinal exits, McCullum is desperate for consistency and improvement to flow in their upcoming ODIs with South Africa and Pakistan. McCullum said that over the last 12 to 18 months they have taken some significant steps forward as a team, especially in the Test arena, but also in one-day cricket. But he added that for New Zealand to be a real threat at the World Cup they need to ensure they are still progressing as they enter it.
McCullum said that Hesson has had a huge role in that, adding that he’s a meticulous planner and a behind-the-scenes communicator and his preparation is outstanding as a coach. The skipper said that he thinks Hesson is probably the new breed of coach, in terms of not necessarily someone that is overly focal from a team point of view but works very hard behind the scenes and pulls a lot of things together.
