Same CD gang for 2017/18 domestic season.

How do you wrap up season in terms of reviews etc?

Individual end of season reviews take place after the last Plunket Shield game in April. Aspects such as performances, preparation, individual roles and team roles, areas ID to work-on, etc. gets discussed with the player setting up his winter training program/skills development plan from the review process.

Could you offer any insight into trends or key messages given to players heading into the off-season?

The key message from us to our players are to be specific (3 to 4 key aspects) in what they want to master by the start of the season ie. technical and/or tactical interventions, physical preparedness, mental skills, etc.

CD had little player movement for this season, was this a conscious effort on your behalf to keep the same group together?

We have not had anyone leave us (bar retirement) the last 4 season which speaks volumes for our culture and environment. We honestly believe we have the best group of people together and add to that their individual skill sets which make it a pretty exciting group to be a part of.

How do you keep up with the players in England playing club cricket and do you have much involvement with those players, or do you let them figure things out for themselves?

Having players overseas is pretty much what we are used to in our CD region as it’s vast and spread across both islands. Communication and finding innovative ways to do so are part of what we do to ensure we are all on the same page and working towards our common goal – making the Stags better.

What's a major focus heading into this season?

The last 12 months have been fantastic for the Stags playing in big games and having a number of our players representing the Blackcaps. Consistency and striving to be better every day are the two key areas that we drive on a daily basis

There's been a strong South African presence in domestic cricket, now we're getting younger players like Chad Bowes and Malcolm Nofal making the move. This can only be a positive with more quality players on the domestic circuit right?

The key aspects are to ensure we have the best available players playing domestic cricket to ensure we have a strong feeder system into the Blackcaps. There are structures and procedures in place and as long as all players adhere to them with regards availability we are on the right track.

How do you find inspiration for new ideas, tactics, training methods?

The internet is a wonderful source. Being able to see what teams across various sports domains do day in and day out gives us quality insights on what to implement into our program. The important thing is to make sure we adapt it to fit the group we work with.

Who should fans keep a close eye on this season from your squad?

We have a number of exciting players who have represented the Blackcaps over the last season and hopefully a couple more will do so this coming summer.

How do you balance skill training with strength/fitness training over the off-season?

As mentioned above, we focus on being consistent and better every day and that is a year-round motto. Trusting our preparation (technical, tactical, physical and mental) to execute our skill accurately under pressure is what we strive for.