Buchanan lands New Zealand role

New Zealand have appointed John Buchanan as their new director of cricket. "It is a true honour to be given the responsibility," he said

Former Australia coach John Buchanan has been named as New Zealand’s new director of cricket.

Buchanan, 58, has not taken on a major role in the game since resigning in the wake of Australia’s triumph at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, although he did serve as a consultant for the England and Wales Cricket Board ahead of last winter’s Ashes success and had a stint in charge of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.

Despite the disappointment of his IPL struggles, Buchanan is best known for the tremendous success he enjoyed with his homeland as he secured two World Cups and a record 16 Test victories in a row.

He takes up the newly-created role with the Black Caps, and his first major tasks are likely to include helping to pick a successor to Daniel Vettori as captain, who retired from limited-overs internationals after their run to the World Cup semi-finals, and putting together a selection panel.

"It's an honour to be appointed to this challenging role. It is a wonderful opportunity to build on the work that has been done," Buchanan said.

"New Zealand Cricket has a proud history and it is a true honour to be given the responsibility. I want to be part of the next successful era and am committed to building sustainable high performance for New Zealand Cricket."

NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan added: "John's appointment is an exciting one for New Zealand Cricket. He has a great cricketing pedigree and will provide outstanding leadership as NZC look to move forward."