New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan announced that he will step down from the position following the World Cup in England this year. McMillan cited the increasingly heavy international schedule as the reason for his decision.
“I spoke to the family because they are the ones that have had to make a lot of sacrifices over the last five years, just with the amount of cricket in this day and age,” said the former all-rounder who played 55 Tests and 197 ODIs for New Zealand between 1997 and 2007.
“It just gets more and more every year. And I sort of knew within myself that it was time for a change for me.”
McMillan was brought into the fold by Mike Hesson in 2014. His departure coincides with other changes in senior coaching roles with Hesson being replaced by Garry Stead last year.
McMillan cited his involvement in the 2015 World Cup as the highlight of his career. New Zealand hosted that tournament with Australia and reached the final.
“To be involved in such an incredible World Cup on home soil and see the way the country embraced the team was really special. It’s been a privilege to be able to work with the likes of Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor day-in and day-out and to see the records they’ve accomplished has been very satisfying; as has the development of younger players like Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls,” said McMillan. It was announced in October 2018 that McMillan would be part of the coaching staff of Kings XI Punjab for IPL 2019.
Current New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has worked with McMillan for nearly half of his career. “Macca has a huge passion for the game and he’s constantly trying to challenge players to get better,” he said. “He has a lot of cricket knowledge and will certainly be missed by the group, although maybe his fielding warm-ups on those cold mornings won’t be.”
