I want to coach NZ – Patel

The number of candidates for the next New Zealand coach has increased by one as former off-spinner Dipak Patel confirmed last night he would like the job.

John Bracewell’s contract expires at the end of the World Cup, but he is expected to seek re-appointment. Other rumoured candidates include John Wright, Dave Nosworthy and Steve Rixon.

The Kenyan-born Patel, who represented New Zealand in 37 Tests and 75 ODIs through the late 1980s and early 1990s, has announced that he also intends to apply for the job. He has coaching experience, with a number of years as coach of the Central Stags in the New Zealand domestic competition and with the New Zealand under-19 team under his belt, and says he has for a long time had ambitions of holding the Black Caps job.

The former all-rounder says that a Patel-coached New Zealand team would put more importance on the two “quality spinners”, Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel, using them as “attacking bowlers” without worrying too much about the number of runs conceded.