Home Calling Wright has 'unfinished business' in NZ cricket

Wellington, June 10 (UNI) Passion for his native land coupled with spending a decade coaching overseas has prompted former India coach John Wright to turn down a plumb job at the Centre of Excellence in Australia and attend to some ''unfinished business'' with New Zealand cricket instead.

From his farm in North Canterbury, Wright said his desire to stay home after coaching overseas for a decade forced him not to take up the job for Cricket Australia at their Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.

''I'd like to get involved in New Zealand cricket because it's sort of a bit like unfinished business,'' Wright said.

''I played for New Zealand for a long period of time and I'm pretty passionate about cricket in New Zealand,'' the former left-handed opener said.

Not ruling out a future overseas stint either, the unasuming Wright said, ''Cricket is what I've done for my working life really so I'd like to find a role here at some stage and I wouldn't necessarily rule out working overseas again.'' Having quit as coach of India in 2005, Wright is ready for another challenge. John Bracewell's position as national coach is under review and it's unlikely to change.

Wright, who has more than 5000 test runs under his belt, thought Bracewell had done a ''good job'' considering the shallow talent pool available.

Stressing on the results, the 52-year-old said ''The bottom line is . . . I expect he will be continuing. It's the same anywhere.

I mean, in India, if you don't win, as coach, you don't keep your job basically, it's as simple as that. And New Zealanders are pretty tough on the coaching front too.'' But Wright's chances of being engaged with cricket in his home land has increased with new chief executive Justin Vaughan saying a fortnight ago that NZ Cricket couldn't afford to lose a talent like him (Wright).

Bracewell might be offered an extension to his contract, most likely for a two-year period.

Both, Wright and Bracewell coached in England - Wright for Kent and Bracewell at Gloucestershire.

''We had a chat before they went to the World Cup and we had a good discussion about things. John and I played a lot of cricket together, we've sort of been around together.

Wright felt a successful team should have players pushing for spots but that has always been New Zealand's bugbear.

''There's not many people in New Zealand and we're up against continually a bigger talent pool and things like that, so it's something that has to be sort of looked after, really.

''We've just got to get our heads around winning,'' he told 'NZ Hearld'.

He also believed the Black Caps had probably played up to expectation at the World Cup. ''Although I felt they were a little bit disappointing in the games against Sri Lanka and Australia,'' Wright opined.

About the Centre of Excellence in Asutralia, he said ''The people in the ACB and the whole set up, they're enormously impressive and very professional, a great facility.'' But the bottom line is that he wanted to stay home.

UNI