After coaching the New Zealand cricket team for a period of six long years, and with a year still to go in his contract, on Thursday, New Zealand head coach Mike Hesson announced that he is going to take retirement at the end of July, as he wants to take a break from the hardships of international cricket, to spend more time with his wife and children.
Talking about his retirement, Hesson said, “This job requires 100 percent commitment and is all-consuming. I know what’s required over the next 12 months, but if I’m honest, I don’t feel I have the capacity to give the job what it deserves. NZC, in particular, David White and the board, have given me incredible support, including flexibility and options. But the idea of missing a match, a tour or a format, as has been proposed at different times, has never sat well with me.”
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He further added, “I couldn’t let this opportunity pass without acknowledging my wife Kate and our daughters Holly and Charlie, who have sacrificed so much for me over the past six years. And I just want to place on record my gratitude to all the players and support staff. I love the team and have great hopes for what they will be able to achieve. I’ll always be a supporter.”
New Zealand Cricket’s chief executive David White also revealed that he tried to persuade Hesson to complete his contract which is going to end after the end of the World Cup next year, he understood the 43-year-old’s decision.
Kane Williamson, the New Zealand skipper showered praises for the coach, he said, “Mike exemplified the “team-first” attitude he himself talked about and left no stone unturned in terms of leading the side to success. I’ve witnessed his work-ethic first-hand and have seen the sacrifices he’s made, and I can only say I have the utmost respect for what he’s achieved.”
Under Hesson, New Zealand managed to reach the World Cup final for the first time in 2015 that they eventually lost and even registered a record 13-match winning streak across formats at home last year. Hesson took over reigns in August 2012 and since then, New Zealand won 21 of their 53 Tests, losing 19; won 65 of their 119 ODIs with 46 losses, and won 30 of their 59 Twenty20 Internationals, with 24 losses.
New Zealand’s next international assignment is only in October when they take on Pakistan in a tour to the UAE.
