Mike Sandle to leave his position as manager of New Zealand men's cricket team
Mar 09, 2022
Auckland [New Zealand], March 9 : Long-standing New Zealand men's cricket team manager Mike Sandle will leave his position at the end of this summer to take on the role of CEO of Taranaki Rugby.
The former New Plymouth policeman turned rugby manager has been with the side since 2011 and is widely credited for playing an important role in its upward trajectory over the past decade.
As a manager, Sandle oversaw six ICC men's Cricket World Cup campaigns, including three World Cup Finals, along with last year's World Test Championship triumph in Southampton. The BlackCaps are currently ranked number one in the ICC ODI rankings, third in Tests and fourth in T20Is - and were recently honoured at the Halberg Awards as the Team of the Year.
Sandle said it wasn't an easy decision to leave a job that had been such a big part of his life for so long, but the opportunity with Taranaki Rugby was too good to pass up.
"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. I'm grateful to NZC for having the faith to appoint me back in 2011 with only rugby experience as a manager," he said in an official release.
Sandle made specific mention of the three Head coaches he worked alongside during his time: John Wright, Mike Hesson and Gary Stead, and the support he received from all of them.
"There's so much that goes into supporting the BLACKCAPS to perform at their best and there are many more people who I hope I get the chance to thank before I depart. I'll really miss the BLACKCAPS and the wider cricket family but will look forward to being able to watch some games on the bank as a punter. I'm proud of what the team has been able to achieve in the past 11 years and am confident they'll continue to make Kiwis proud," said Sandle.
The upcoming Netherlands series will be Sandle's last with the BLACKCAPS before he takes up the job with Taranaki Rugby on April 11. A process for identifying and appointing a replacement for Sandle will begin immediately.
