Mike Hesson’s Resigned As Blackcaps Coach, Wellwhaddayaknow?
Rightio then, who saw that one coming? Mike Hesson has resigned from the Blackcaps coaching gig, effective at the end of July, with a year still to run on his contract which would have taken him to the end of the 2019 World Cup. Bit of a bombshell, that one. Those unexpected press conferences always pack a punch.
The decision was unexpected but it’s been taken for all the expected reasons. Hess wants to spend more time with family, he feels he needs a break from the intense world of global cricket, he doesn’t feel he can offer his full capacities over a crucial next year and, basically, he felt he’d done his thing. Six years is a long time in that job and you have to commend a bloke who always stressed Team Culture > Everything Ese for recognising that he might lost some vitality in the role.
Since the Blackcaps aren’t scheduled to play again until October when they hit up the UAE for some stuff against Pakistan, this means his regime ends with 53 Tests played (21 wins), 119 ODIs (65 wins) and 59 T20Is (30 wins). Very decent numbers compared to most Cappies coaches, to be honest. More wins than losses in all formats – the biggest complaint about those numbers is the volume of T20Is played but that’s not his fault.
Therefore NZ Cricket have done their best to celebrate a successful coach and that’s nice of them. NZ Football did the same thing with Anthony Hudson when he left the All Whites late last year and they had to do a whole lot more massaging of the stats to make ‘em look as positive as they assured us they were. Mike Hesson’s getting rave reviews all around the place for the job he did, none better than from his old mate Brendon McCullum…
B-Mac: “We remember the 2015 World Cup as a great time for New Zealand and Mike should be recognised for the huge part he played in that. His meticulous planning and eye for detail gave us our best chance of success and he can be proud of what he helped the team achieve. Personally, I regard him as the best coach the BLACKCAPS have ever had.”
Geez, he really went all in there, didn’t he?
Mike Hesson was given the job as Blackcaps coach as a relative unknown looking strangely like child actor Jonathan Lipnicki from Stuart Little. He’d done well with Otago but that connection soon turned into another knife when the Ross Taylor captaincy debacle happened and his buddy Brendon took over in what felt suspiciously like a coup. Didn’t help when Rossco sat out the tour to South Africa to nurse the wounds in his back and the Blackcaps were bowled out for 45 in Cape Town.
Here’s the thing though, that turned out to be the correct decision. Brendon McCullum was a remarkable captain, one of New Zealand’s best ever, and together with Mike Hesson he orchestrated a mini-revolution within the Blackcaps. Players were encouraged to be positive and stick to what comes natural. It was always risky. There were some stink days in there but there were plenty more choice ones. Next thing the Blackcaps were into the World Cup final.
But, like, keeping it real here… we still got thrashed in that final. And while Hesson’s tenure has coincided with the Blackcaps becoming extra good within Aotearoa, they still aren’t a side that wins much away from home. That’s the trend in all international cricket but it’s worth pointing out. It’d be disingenuous to whitewash these last six years when the achievements can stand on their own.
Here at The Niche Cache, we’ve had our share of frustrations with the Hesson regime. Specifically when he and Gavin Larsen go into full LESSON mode with all those head-scratching team selections. Bowlers were picked for how well they bat, batters picked because they can bowl, all-rounders picked because they can do a little of both rather than a lot of either. Experienced campaigners were preferred to fresh up and comers. Ross Taylor was inconceivably frozen out of the T20 team for a while there.
Things got stupid and they culminated in an utterly disastrous 2017 Champions Trophy campaign where Luke Ronchi opened the batting, Neil Broom came in at five, Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson were rushed back in there and Adam Milne was recalled out of the IPL. All that time working up to and prioritising that tournament and the best they could come up with was to frantically try and recreate the 2015 team with players coming off injuries and poor form. Neesham and Anderson still haven’t played for the Blackcaps again since.
What changed? The captain, of course. When McCullum and Hesson were working in tandem, everything clicked. When the more unobtrusive Kane Williamson assumed the captaincy it meant a bit of a culture shift and, from the outside looking in (in other words: I might be wrong but it’s just my guess so don’t shoot me), it seemed like Hesson had more power to influence things after that. But it was as a tandem that it worked best, McCullum bringing that enthusiasm and excitement out there into the game. McCullum was the visceral and Hesson the cerebral. Yin and yang.
While the wins have still been coming it’s fair to say that the Blackcaps of the last couple years have not been playing to their potential like they did in 2015. That’s not personal against Hesson. The magic disappeared with McCullum’s retirement but Hess did what he could to carry the torch. Some very disagreeable selections aside, this team has evolved in the image of Kane Williamson’s more subtle captaincy and whoever the next coach is they’ll inherit a stable and competitive team. They're in a better place than when he took over. Can’t ask much more than that.
So it started chaotically, peaked incredibly, sunk annoyingly and then ended pleasantly. It’s been a long time since Aotearoa’s cricket team last played and it’s still a long time ‘til we’ll see them again but don’t forget we did last beat England in an absolutely fantastic (two) Test series. Hell of a way to bow out. And full credit to Mike Hesson for having the honesty and perspective to make a decision like this. It takes guts to walk away saying that you’ve done all that you can and it’s somebody else’s turn now. Most coaches aren’t that clear-sighted. Now maybe just gotta do something about Gavin Larsen...
How the Blackcaps attack this thing moving towards the World Cup is up in the air but after the Champions Trophy it’s not a terrible time to get some fresh ideas. There are a few deserving candidates out there in the Plunket Shield and beyond. As long as it’s not Craig McMillan they should be all good. Hey, why not Haidee Tiffin? As for Mike Hesson, he oughta do just fine for himself after his unexpected star turn as a pundit during the IPL.
Seriously, this dude’s just full of surprises.
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