Wellington: New Zealand cricket coach Mike Hesson announced Thursday he will resign from the post, a year just before the World Cup, citing family reasons.
Although Hesson has a year left on his contract, he said he no longer felt fully committed to the role and his resignation would take effect at the end of next month.
“I know what’s required over the next 12 months, but if I’m honest, I don’t feel I have the capacity to give the job what it deserves,” Hesson said. He also added that he has no job to go to and his motivation for standing down was based purely on a need to pause and refresh, and to spend more time with his family.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said Hesson would be remembered as a selfless coach who extracted the maximum potential from his teams. The 43-year-old was also described as the best coach the Blackcaps have ever had by former skipper Brendon McCullum.
Under Hesson’s reign, New Zealand played 53 Tests for 21 wins and 13 draws and won 65 of 119 one-day internationals and 30 of 59 T20s. During his tenure, New Zealand also made the final of the 2015 World Cup and are currently ranked fourth in Tests and ODIs and third in T20s.
New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said he had tried to persuade Hesson to stay on, but that he understood his reasons for walking away. “Mike has overseen one of NZC’s most successful periods of international cricket, he’s more than realised the potential we saw in him back in 2012, and has grown into one of the most respected coaches on the international circuit,” White said.
