Dave Nosworthy

Dave hails from Johannesburg in the Transvaal in South Africa. His first experience of top level cricket was as a batsman for the Northern Transvaal in 1989, later on playing for Border in 1991. After a respected, but unspectacular playing career drew to an end in mid to late 1990s, Dave made a smooth transition to coaching, firstly with the Titans in South Africa before his recent move to New Zealand and the role as coach of a strong Canterbury side.

Q1. How were you first introduced to cricket, and what about the game got you hooked?

Dave Nosworthy: My first memories of cricket were on the front lawn with my Dad and brothers when I was just 10 years old growing up in Johannesburg. I was a provincial baseball player and thus had a bit of hand eye/ball co-ordination going from an early age. I became hooked whilst spending my high school years at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth playing loads of cricket, and going on as a schoolboy to break Graeme Pollock's record for most runs in a season whilst at school.

Q2. What was the highlight of your playing career?

Dave: Every 1st class match that I played in was an honour and a highlight to be selected into the team - but I suppose to have played with and against so many quality international players; such as Peter Kirsten, Malcolm Marshall, Hansie Cronje, Allan Donald, Jonty Rhodes, Ray Jennings, Daryll Cullinan, etc. These were all just such great learning experiences with me being an average player myself in many ways.

Q3. What convinced you to leave South Africa and to take the job coaching Canterbury in New Zealand?

Dave: The time had come after 5 very enjoyable years at the Titans in Pretoria to move on, and I thus took up an offer to be appointed to the High Performance Centre in Pretoria as the Head Coach of the South African National Academy. Whilst at the Academy it came to my attention via an agent that Canterbury Cricket were looking for a 1st class coach, and deep down I was still pretty keen to have my own team and not necessarily a training squad like at the Academy. After various bits of communication between myself and Canterbury, they offered me the position. I thus decided that in terms of my long term career prospects that experience in different countries would be hugely beneficial, both from a cricketing point of view and a cultural point of view - and thus accepted Canterbury's offer after an open and honest discussion with South African cricket. I thus left South Africa in September 2005 after a 5 week tour to Pakistan with the South African National Cricket Academy team, and have settled really well into Christchurch and the New Zealand cricketing family.

Q4. What has been the most difficult challenge to overcome during your coaching career and also in your playing career?

Dave: Coaching has just SO many different challenges, in fact a few new ones each and every day - which I suppose is what keeps me interested and sharp. Man management is an art, and as a Coach you not only have to have superb relationships with your players, but also your Board and stakeholders. Being open, honest, and straight forward though is the key to overcoming any challenge. Sometimes people do not like to hear the truth, but there are definitely times for it to be diplomatically told!

In terms of my playing career, there were many challenges as I would 'box' myself as a player who had natural flair but was perhaps at times technically ill equipped. Often it was my inner determination, confidence, belief, and huge drive that got me through the matches, whilst always trying to perform to the best of my ability. I used to challenge myself to out think the opposition and to analyse my opponents strengths and weaknesses - which I suppose in many ways has now come through with me into my next career.

Q5. Do you think that a cricketer is more likely to be successful if he has natural ability or has mental strength?

Dave: As a Coach I have often said that 'Potential lets one down more often than not!' So one can have all the natural ability, but if you are not strong enough to deal with the real mental challenges and issues on a daily basis, one will struggle to be really successful. A mixture of both is obviously the ideal, but I do believe that like physical strength – mental strength can also be learnt and one can improve over time.

Q6. What skills does a coach need to be successful?

Dave: This is a VERY wide open question as there are so many varying opinions and 'catch phrases' that one can elude to. In cricket though I have no doubt that firstly some playing experience at 1st class level is very helpful as one is able to relate to the pressures and day to day life of top class cricket. However, I know quite a few very good ex-1st class and International cricketers who were and are not cut out for coaching. Some of these guys were so talented themselves that they have battled to understand or to have the patience with their own players when they were training or struggling with the game. Coaches need to be up to speed with all aspects of the modern game and its history, they need to be prepared to 'risk to succeed' at times, they need to be really good listeners, they need to be able to relate to people and they need to have really good communicational skills. Lastly as a coach, you need to be prepared to accept that when the team wins it is the players who get the plaudits - and when they lose it is the fault of the coach. A non-selfish attitude to assist and to guide players at your own expense is a must, whilst obviously knowing the in-depth side of the game both technically and tactically.

Q7. What does Michael Papps need to work on to enable him to be a successful Test opener?

Dave: Pappsy is already a quality player and perhaps just needs to get the odd break or spot of luck here and there. He has over the last two seasons now changed his stance and pre-shot movement most effectively, and has scored heavily this last season. There are still one or two aspects to fine tune which we have discussed and he is currently working on - but he is essentially about to enter the best years of his batting and thus needs to cash in now. To do this, all bases - physically, technically, and mentally need to be out of the top draw. All of the above are currently 'Work in progress.'

Q8. Which individual player that you have coached do you feel that you have had the most positive effect on, and what in particular do you think you have helped him with?

Dave: As a coach I believe that I really just "touch" each and every player as they pass through me on their way into their careers and onto other coaches. I have dealt with many players over the years and I suppose this question should perhaps be asked of them. Essentially though I do think that in some way I have been able to add a few different thought patterns, been able to change a few mind sets, and perhaps have even been fortunate enough to just assist in developing the player's game in some way.

Q9. How important do you think playing and training overseas is for an up and coming cricketer?

Dave: Playing and going overseas is an awesome experience for most young cricketers. Many of these young guys play in the leagues and get the 'real' cultural side of English village cricket in the UK which is great. As a young player myself I played up in Yorkshire and Huddersfield for a club called Marsden CC and thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the experience.

Apart from learning to deal with foreign conditions as a cricketer and adapting skill wise, the general life experience of being more responsible is brilliant for any young person. I fully recommend the experience, but if a fast/medium pace bowler takes on an overseas position in their off-season, they need to make sure that they manage their work loads over that period.

Q10. Who do you see as the future stars of New Zealand cricket?

Dave: The sitting on the fence answer will be that there are a few decent young players starting to emerge in the system, and as always I don't like to rate players too soon - as I prefer for them to emerge on their own with as little pressure as possible. So sorry - no specific names to share with you for now.

Q11. Can you see Kruger Van Wyk playing for New Zealand when he qualifies?

Dave: Well I certainly hope so as he is a true professional in terms of being a cricketer and he works harder than most. By moving to New Zealand and up-rooting his whole life to try to achieve such, I hope that he gets a fair opportunity and is able to perform well enough to do so. Obviously there are other contenders and also currently an unbelievable wicket keeper in Brendan McCullum (also a Canterbury player) who Kruger will have to challenge and to get past if he so desires, which I know he does. Personally, I believe in him and think he has a good chance.

Q12. In your time coaching in South Africa and New Zealand, who has been the most skilful player that you have seen?

Dave: My teams have played against many teams who have had very skilful players as opposition (e.g. Australia), but guys whom I have worked with and players who I think are really skilful in their specific areas of the game and stand out include: Steve Elworthy (Swing bowling), Daryll Cullinan (Batsmanship and knowledge of the game), Chris Cairns (All round skills), Shane Bond (Fast bowling skills), Alfonso Thomas (Swing/Seam bowling), and Chris Harris (Highly skilled in various areas).

Q13. Which non-Canterbury players are you looking forward to working with whilst coaching New Zealand "A"?

Dave: Each and every one of them no doubt will have different challenges - and thus looking forward to working with them in trying to polish their games as much as possible.

Q14. Which Canterbury players do you think have the skills and mental strength to go on to challenge for International honours?

Dave: Again I do not like to specifically point out any names, as currently in the Canterbury set up we have so many decent young players with varying levels of skill and mental strengths - which will hopefully over the next season or two blossom into something special for ourselves first, and then onto the world stage.

Q15. If you could give one piece of advice to a youngster looking to take up cricket, what would it be?

Dave: "Genius is 1% Inspiration and 99% Perspiration!". Love the game, enjoy the challenges as you will more than likely have more bad days than good days, and lastly respect this wonderful game that we all love.

Q16. There is a lot of talk in the media about 20:20 harming players' technique, and for batsmen in particular. What are your views on this?

Dave: Twenty 20 cricket is one of the most pressurised forms of the game and players need to adapt throughout. Personally I believe that every player needs to learn to adapt as much as possible, and thus needs to be skilled and disciplined enough to do such. Technically if players wish to compete in all forms of the game, they need to learn to be capable of adapting to the different forms by means of various different skill sessions. Technically a batsman might not have to change too much to adapt as it is the skill sector that has to improve. In time to come, one might even find players specialising in the different forms of the game that cricket offers, and who knows, maybe Twenty 20 cricket will turn into a Rugby 7's type event world wide?

Q17. How do you measure your success or failure as a coach? Does team success or individual players having success give you more pride?

Dave: I try to measure most of my success as a coach by the individual development of each and every player in terms of performance, skill enhancement, and their mental well being to do with cricketing aspects. Also the team overall as a unit - how it operates, how it gels, and how each player fulfils their specific role. Coaching at 1st class level is essentially all about being able to assist players to get to the next level and then for them to kick on to become greats! As they pass through my hands, all I merely do is assist in the 'polishing' process - and hopefully give them one or two tools to perform at International level.

As a coach I feel pride from both seeing a player really work hard to achieve his goals, as well as seeing the team 'come together' and to achieve success. Both of these give me different types of pride - but I find them both very fulfilling when such occurs.

Q18. Do you feel that New Zealand State cricket offers a tough enough challenge to aspiring NZ cricketers?

Dave: New Zealand domestic cricket is reasonably strong, but suffers when the national players are not around and thus a lacks of depth is exposed at times. Any aspiring young cricketer needs though to aspire to play 1st class cricket as there is no doubt about the jump in levels from school cricket, to club cricket, to 1st class cricket - and thus there are definitely enough challenges along the way to becoming a great player.

Q19. If you had the opportunity what you change to improve New Zealand State cricket?

Dave: This topic was recently discussed at a 1st class coaches forum, and one of the key things we spoke about was a full round of 4 day cricket on a home and away basis - whereas currently we only play eight or so 1st class matches which take place between late November and the end of March. I also think that our depth needs to be seriously addressed - and thus our 2nd XI's or "B" teams need to play more often and not at just a once a year tournament at a central base. Finance I know is a factor, but this is a critical area of development for both 1st class cricketers and then on into the International arena - and as such NZ Cricket will need to find cash to cover improvement in this area.

Q20. What do you think the key tools are that a coach has to have at his disposal in order to be successful?

Dave: If a coach has the right personality and the correct characteristics along with real experience in the game here are just some of the tools that are critical for him and his team to be successful: a) Full unobstructed support from his Board and his administration behind the scenes, b) Quality support staff i.e. Assistant Coaches, Physiotherapists, Trainers, Doctors and c) Quality and committed players who are not scared of change or of pushing themselves to the next level.

Q21. The advice you gave Kruger Van Wyk. Would you have followed it yourself had you been a couple of years younger?

Dave: My advice to Kruger right from the start was to do what he wanted and what suited him best. Kruger showed interest in moving abroad into a different environment, and I merely assisted in creating the tools and the angle for him to do so as we at Canterbury Cricket needed a quality wicket keeper. Without knowing Kruger's exact feelings and personal thoughts at the time, if I had been in Kruger's boots at that stage of his career and knowing how much he loves a challenge - I think I may have taken the same risk.

Q22. I know your highest 1st class score is 141* in a UCB Bowl match, but what would you say have been the highlights in your career: As a player, a captain, and then as coach?

Dave: Player: Making my 1st class début, my first 1st class hundred, and getting to play and associate with so many quality people and players.

Captain: It was a privilege to captain in each and every game, and each game had a different highlight in terms of the tactical challenges of the game and dealing with different player roles.

Coach: Assisting in the polishing process of many players who are now Internationals has been a highlight, whilst also being involved in various and many semi finals and finals with the teams. Trophies are also a bonus of which I have been part of three and are highlights - but they are not necessarily the be-all-and-end-all like some think.

Q23. What would you do to better the situation for spinners in South African cricket?

Dave: Spinners are in many ways a rare commodity world wide, and this is not just a South African problem. [Shane] Warne and [Muttiah] Muralitharan are something special and to be honest both Australia and Sri Lanka have been very fortunate to have had such players basically fall out of nowhere! All South Africa needs to do is to continue to nurture the art and the desire to become a spin bowler - knowing though that on our hard and fast pitches many youngsters get mesmerised by speed rather than flight and guile. Eventually I honestly believe that one will 'pop' out of almost nowhere and become a world great.

Currently though, I believe that we need to give the likes of Paul Harris a longer run as I have worked with him previously and believe in his abilities. Apart from Paul, Thandi Tshabalala who I have worked with has ability and in time needs a chance perhaps. Lastly, I think that selectors and captains need to start having 'real' faith in the slow bowling option - as they may be surprised what front line spinners can produce - instead of using part time options to fill a gap.

Q24. Do you think the Franchise system is strong enough, or do SA cricket need something else to better prepare their 1st class cricketers for the next step?

Dave: I have been out of the South African system for 2 years now and cant really assess if the standard has got better or has got worse. However, at the time when I was involved, I do think that having cut down the teams in South Africa from 11 to 6 definitely allowed for more competition and for a more competitive edge between players. It caused a lot of unhappiness in many ways for players and administrators, but I do believe it was the right decision at the time for South African cricket as there is no substitute for strength versus strength cricket thus creating and pressurising 'diamonds' to be produced for International cricket purposes.

Q25. Errol Stewart and Keith Forde pummelled you guys in a huge stand before you got the wicket of Forde. If I am correct that was your only 1st class wicket. BUT my question is: Why on earth did you bring Mark Boucher on to bowl? (I hope he hasn't lost his South African sense of humour!)

Dave: Yes you are correct; we did get "pummelled" (good word!), I did get Forde out (Caught on the fence!), and yes that was my only 1st class wicket...which I often remind people of!

As captain of that Border XI, I was sent by the selectors to play against Natal in Durban with a team of 8 real youngsters with no real experience, and with just 3 of us with some sort of seniority and experience. So yes, we did get pummelled. As Captain though, we got to a stage in the game where Natal were so far ahead of our score that I was looking for a declaration. To this end, I gave myself and Mark Boucher a bowl. Mark was not keeping in this match as it was his début match and Carl Spilhaus was our regular keeper at the time. From early on I liked this youngster's 'never say die' attitude, and thus asked him to have a bowl – an idea which to be honest worked out very well for us! Whenever Bouch and I catch up these days, we are not scared to reminisce about that dreary day at Kingsmead in the early 90's when I was his only captain ever to throw him the ball.

[The match in question was between Natal and Border at Kingsmead, Durban in October 1995. After Border were bowled out for 86 in their first innings, Natal replied with 468 for seven declared, Errol Stewart finishing not out on 207 and Keith Forde scoring 122 before being dismissed by Dave Nosworthy, caught on the boundary by Graeme Ortlieb who was playing his only first class game. Débutant Mark Boucher opened the batting in both innings for Border, scoring seven runs in the first, and a duck in the second innings. Boucher bowled 3 overs for no wickets during Natal's innings. Border ended up losing by an innings and 172 runs! Errol Stewart went onto play six unspectacular one day internationals for South Africa whilst Mark Boucher became a fixture behind the stumps in both South Africa's test and one day international team. Since that game, Boucher has in fact bowled a further eight balls – all at test level where he took a single wicket for six runs. The wicket was that of Dwayne Bravo for 107 runs in a high scoring draw at Antigua in May 2005.]

Q26. Do you think SA, Australia, and New Zealand can have a "Super 14"?

Dave: Indeed I do, but it perhaps needs to be in the Twenty 20 form of the game, with all three teams playing each other at different venues over a two week period in the different countries. To find space though in the current International programme could be a problem. How about a world wide Twenty 20 tour though like with the rugby 7's?

Q27. What is your favourite Afrikaans word? Please be painfully honest, and also describe it to our English only readers. (Afrikaans is a very expressive language)

Dave: Indeed Afrikaans is a very expressive language, and over the years I have used many expressive words for some of my players' ears only I suppose.

A really expressive word or phrase though for every ones ears which I frequently use is "baie beindruk!", which means I am VERY IMPRESSED!

Q28. What really really irritates you?

Dave: There are a few things which do and herewith one or two of them: lack of punctuality, dishonesty, and people who have no respect for their fellow human beings.

From a cricketing aspect - there is nothing worse than having to live out of bags and packing and then unpacking.

Q29. Grey High School is your Alma Mater - name some of your fellow students who like you have gone on to greater cricketing things.

Dave: The biggest cricketing name Grey has produced over the years was no doubt Graeme Pollock, and then also his brother Peter. When I was at school I was privileged enough to have known and to have played with the likes of Dave Callaghan and Pieter Strydom who have both represented South Africa from that era. More recently Johann Botha received his first cap against Australia.

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Once again, many thanks to Dave for spending his time answering our questions so frankly. We wish Dave the best of luck with the New Zealand A team and with Canterbury for the next season.

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Update: 29th October 2007

Following the exceptional detail that Dave provided for us in our initial interview, he had set himself up for some follow up questions. By this stage, Dave had also taken charge of coaching the New Zealand A team in the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia in 2007. This meant that Dave had a lot more to tell us. Read on to find out what he had to say. 

Q1. There has been a lot of talk recently regarding the future of Chris Harris. What are your opinions on the importance of experienced players like Chris in helping the development of younger players in the squad? Are there any specific examples that you can think of where Chris has had a direct hand in suggesting something which has helped the performance of another player?

Dave: Any player who has as much experience as what Chris Harris has will be missed in any team. Experience plays a massive role in terms of decision making - what I mean by this is doing the right thing at the right time. Generally speaking players with "experience" are ahead of the game and expect and foresee just so many aspects of the game. Chris himself has along the way as leader of the team, "polished" many of the youngsters - and all have in some way or another taken something from him which they will use well into the future. It's never good to lose experienced players to the game...!

Q2. Richard Sherlock has played for New Zealand A and signed for Canterbury back in 2005/06. We didn’t see him during the whole of the 2006/7 season due to injury. Are we likely to see him playing for Canterbury again? If we are to see him again, how likely is it that he’ll be able to bowl at full pace and what measures will be taken to reduce the likelihood of injury for him?

Dave: Richard is a rare talent and has played few matches to date. Personally I believe he will still play for Canterbury somewhere along the line (and hopefully New Zealand), but his body needs to first mature, settle down, and become more accustomed to the rigours of fast bowling. Injury is a very unpredictable event - and thus as with all players every angle as far as possible is taken to prevent any time away from the game and injury. Richard has the ability to bowl fast, and should not lose such at this age for a while still...however; the minutes are ticking away for him and his body to get back into things. Here's hoping that he is back as soon as possible!

Q3. Canterbury signed the experienced and talented Johann Myburgh from South African franchise, Titans during the off-season. What will he add to the Canterbury team, what convinced him to make the move over to New Zealand and is he aiming to qualify for the New Zealand national team?

Dave: Johann Myburgh is a very talented cricketer and his record speaks for itself. His move to New Zealand is threefold: Firstly it is to represent Canterbury Cricket and as an experienced player to perform and to pass on valued knowledge, Secondly it for him to get the opportunity to play more 1st Class cricket more regularly compared to what he was getting in South Africa, and Thirdly he has sincere intentions in developing his game and in time qualifying to be available to be selected for New Zealand. Johann will add experience to the Canterbury team, as well as professionalism and leadership to the task at hand.

Q4. The other big player move in the off-season was that of Brendon McCullum and his move back to Otago. Who initiated this move? What effect is this move likely to have on the Canterbury squad and who is likely to provide keeping backup in the event of an injury to Kruger van Wyk?

Dave: Brendon McCullum made the move and decision himself in the off season, as in accordance with his wishes - he wished to move "back home" to where he came from. Over the years Brendan has been a superb servant to Canterbury Cricket and will be missed in all aspects - however in the bigger picture of NZ Cricket there is no doubt that he will add much value to Otago. Kruger Van Wyk is thus now our front line keeper with various options depending on balance of the team to take over should Kruger get injured. Players like Ben Rae and Andrew Robertson's names immediately come to mind with both currently being in the mix in terms of Canterbury training squads - so we do have options. It should however be said with crossed fingers - that Kruger is a very resilient player, and in fact went through six weeks last season keeping wicket with a broken finger!

Q5. What effect has the departure of CEO Richard Reid had at Canterbury?

Dave: Reido has done a superb job over the years that he has been here. I have only spent two years with him as the CEO, and it must be said that he has supported me and the team at every turn where possible. He has superb cricket knowledge, a passion for sport, and a very deliberate business mind.

Reido moves on now to a massive challenge, which I know he will take on with lots of energy and determination. He will be missed here at the home of Canterbury Cricket by all!

Q6. Realistically, what are your aims for the domestic season ahead? What do you think Canterbury need to achieve for the forthcoming season to be judged as successful?

Dave: Bearing in mind that we have lost 9 senior players over the last two seasons (over 1300 1st Class matches and over 3000 1 Day matches in terms of experience), we have an up hill battle with player averaging just 22.5 in age. Sounds pretty daunting...but OH so challenging! As a team this season we will compete, and every effort will be made in all aspects. I believe our youth and eagerness will carry us forward - however we may lack that real experience at times.

Q7. Are there any opposition players that you will be keeping an eye on during the season ahead?

Dave: There are no specific opposition that we will be focusing on, as I am firstly a firm believer in focusing on ourselves first....thus the focus will be on us!

Q8. What did you learn from your experience in coaching New Zealand A at the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia back in July?

Dave: As with any coaching experience I learnt a hang off a lot, and perhaps too much to write down now. However from a New Zealand player point of view, I do believe that perhaps our opposition at times had a few more 'match winners' than us - and thus this is why possibly we lost at the last hurdle in the final. The players we took across were all quality people however and all have in some way or another got that 'something special' - which needs now over the next season is to be expressed. I look forward to seeing how these players progress now after having the opportunity and experience on foreign turf.

Q9. How differently did you approach the New Zealand A job? Did you employ different techniques than you do whilst coaching at domestic level?

Dave: Every team needs a different approach, and that is often the art of coaching. Understanding the make up of the team and its staff is critical to its success or failure - whilst not trying to over coach players who in essence will only be 'yours' for a six week period. The "polishing" factor was thus what I employed, to try to assist and suggest different things and approaches as the tour went progressed.

Q10. How valuable did you think that the Emerging Players Tournament was for the players involved? Do you feel that there are any key skills that a player can pick up from such a tournament that they cannot learn playing domestic cricket?

Dave: The concept is a really good one, however the playing schedule was way too cramped. For players to play against other International players at this level is really beneficial, and far outweighs any domestic cricket that most of them would have played. Not only did players get to play on different grounds and different pitches etc., but they also got to play against different players with different and unique skills.

Q11. Were there any opposition players at the Emerging Players Tournament that you thought would be particularly suited to the international game?

Dave: The stand out player of the tournament was Morne Morkel from South Africa. He has already played some international cricket - and in my opinion if he can stay injury free, Morne should be a regular in the South African national team, and he could well go on to be something special!

Q12.The New Zealand A team performed brilliantly up until the final game in the Emerging Players Tournament. Is there any particular reason that you would put the relatively disappointing performance in the final down to? Do you feel that the South African team were the best team on display at the tournament?

Dave: South Africa was definitely the team to beat, and in fact at one stage in the final during our chase, we were pretty much on track to beat them! In the end though I personally believe that they had more 'match winners' and players who displayed real flare. In saying the above though, it must be said that our team did play some really good cricket during the tournament and in fact only lost the one match, and that was to South Africa in the final. Previously we beat them in the Twenty 20 and also in the preliminary round one day match. So without looking for too many excuses, there is no doubt that the three odd weeks preparation time up in Darwin prior to the tournament - caught up with the whole team in the last week of the tour and this was a massive lesson for all concerned in terms of travelling abroad to play international cricket.

Q13. Your name has been widely mentioned in the Cricket media in relation to the vacant Indian coaching position. What in particular would attract you to coaching the Indian national team if you were given the chance?

Dave: As a coach I will always look for a challenge, and as things stand right now Canterbury Cricket is just that. On the other hand though, there should not be a coach at 1st Class level who is not looking to improve themselves and who is not looking towards coaching at the highest level. I do have aspirations to give of myself at international level, but do believe that that time will come at its own pace and it is for me to just focus on the here and now.

Q14. How pleased are you by the success of Paul Harris for the South African national team? Have you been surprised by how quickly his success has come?

Dave: I am extremely pleased for Paul and am not surprised at all at his success. I saw Paul for the first time in 2001 in Cape Town, and six months later signed him to the Titans where I was coaching at the time. His success has not come quickly as he has had a learning curve of many years, including lots of learning and frustration no doubt. Fortunately, he has now come of age as a spinner and is getting into his prime years. I have always backed Paul, and now hope that he goes onto to bigger and better things.

Q15. In international cricket, there seems to be two opinions as regards to when a player is ready for the international cricket. Some teams think that as soon as a player shows a great deal of ability, they’re ready for the game whilst others (the Australians in particular) only select a player after they have shown that promise has developed and been maintained over a period of time. What are your views on how to determine when a player is ready for international cricket?

Dave: I do not think there is any "golden rule" to this, as every player is different. I believe a player is ready to be selected at any age - as long as he is really performing at first class level and in the coaches and selectors opinion good enough to move on up to the next level. Some countries are luckier than others in terms of depth...just take Australia and compare it to New Zealand in terms of numbers - and then you will be able to see why Australia can afford to leave quality players in domestic cricket for a lot longer. Remember though that..."cream always rises to the top!"

Q16. What do you miss most about South Africa and what do you think you will miss most about New Zealand when you leave?

Dave: I miss my extended family in South Africa the most as well as the wonderful lifestyle, and when/if ever I leave New Zealand I will miss its beauty and its people.

Q17. You previously said that you didn't think that 20:20 cricket harms players techniques as much as some media commentators would have you believe. What specific areas of a player's game can be most improved by playing 20:20 cricket? Also, if you think that 20:20 can improve a player, do you think that more 20:20 type cricket should be played at club level?

Dave: For those of you who watched the recent 20:20 World Cup, you would have seen that for most parts of it...normal cricket strokes were played. Batsmen and Bowlers showed a huge amount of skill in all areas, as they were continually under pressure. The 20:20 format allows players to express themselves and to show off what skills they have, so surely by doing this more often players confidences will grow and they will become a better players. Twenty 20 cricket at club level has a place, however with club players only playing once a week generally speaking on a Saturday or Sunday - the 1 Day or 2 Day format needs to stay in place for them to be able to play for a longer period of time.

Q18. If you were given control over the Laws of Cricket, would there be anything that you would like to change and why would you change it?

Dave: I would do away with batsmen being able to run an extra run for a direct hit on the stumps from a brilliant piece of fielding, which ends up ricocheting off into the outfield somewhere. The reason for this is that in the modern game so much more emphasis is now placed on brilliant bits of fielding - so why then should a fielder be penalised for a good throw?

Q19. It is often said in the media at the moment that the game is either “biased in favour of batsmen” or that we are “currently suffering from a lack of world class fast bowlers”. What is your opinion on these perceptions?

Dave: If I had to choose one - I would think it would be that we are suffering from a lack of world class fast bowlers. The reason for this may be that we are losing more and more bowlers to injury due to the amount of cricket being played these days. So often I see quality fast bowlers coming into our ranks as players who did not bowl a lot at school or as youngsters. Their bodies are almost 'saved' from the stresses during growth - whilst so often I see the young fast bowler at school or U19 level drifting off into the distance never to be seen again. It is something we all need to watch closely!

Q20. It is rare, but not unheard of, for a coach to criticise one or many of his players for poor performances, lack of effort or poor discipline. Are there any circumstances that you would offer criticism to (i) only to the player

Dave: Any criticism will be done out of the public eye and directly to the player.

(ii) to the player in front of his team mates

Dave: If that criticism happens to be in front of his team mates (depending on exactly what it is about), it should not be a problem as his team mates may well also learn from such.

or (iii) to the player but through the media?

Dave: Never through the media...that's the 'soft' and 'cowardice' option! Generalising at media conferences is most probably the safest way to go, however names can be mentioned within reason if such has been told to the player anyway.

Q21: Could you ask Dave to follow up on the questions posed about genius and hard-work and ask if he can name some players who fall foul – who have all of the genius but don't work hard enough? And if he believes there are a couple of berths in his XI for players who transcend his normal teachings? Or whether he believes, as a successful coach, that it is preferable to have 'synergy' and 11 players of similar standards who all work together as a team.

Dave: As a young player I personally was no genius - but I definitely had potential and ability. Yet...I was one of those who did not work hard enough and took too many short cuts. I am now able to share such with all my players, and am able to guide them along into not making the same mistakes that I made along the way. Also, I have never "boxed" a player and believe that like in life it takes all sorts to make up the world or a team. Players who wish to be part of a 'team', however, need to be accountable to that team in terms of the standards the team has set for themselves. As a coach it is always simply my role to ensure that such standards are maintained and that all players live towards the team's objectives. Without mentioning any names I have over the years had to deal with many tough characters with massive ability; however it is all about how one manages these people into performing at their best for the team. If the genius is not able to be a team man and is totally disruptive and unmanageable - it will eventually be his own team mates who will not want him to be part of the set up. Quite simply though like with anything in life - there are no short cuts, and even the naturally gifted genius needs to be putting in the hard yards.