The legendary Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath and Team India’s former batting coach Vikram Rathour join the New Zealand support staff ahead of the one-off test series against Afghanistan. The red-ball series is scheduled to take place from September 09 (Monday) to September 13 (Friday) at Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.
Subsequently, New Zealand will tour Sri Lanka for the 2-match test series starting from September 18 (Wednesday) to September 30 (Monday) at Galle International Stadium.
Rathour will be the batting coach for the squad till the Afghanistan series while Herath will stay as the spin bowling coach for the upcoming three test matches, one against Afghanistan and the remaining two on the Sri Lankan homeground. The former left-arm spinner Herath replaced the ex-Pakistani spinner and coach Saqlain Mushtaq, who was supposed to join the team, but later withdrew his name after taking up a new role with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Furthermore, Rathour had a successful stint as India’s batting coach under the head coach Rahul Dravid, whose tenure concluded after the team’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in June 2024. It is expected that his presence would bolster New Zealand’s batting line-up. Before becoming the national selector in 2012, he played six test matches in his career from 6th June 1996 to 16th January 1997 and scored 131 runs in 10 innings.
On the other side, Rangana Herath played 93 test matches in his career from 22nd September 1999 to 06th November 2019. He took 433 wickets in 170 test innings, which proves his presence is necessary for the spin bowling department.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s head coach Gary Stead shared his opinion that players in the squad will get a great opportunity to learn many new skills from these former cricketers.
New Zealand Coach – Gary Stead’s About Vikram Rathour and Rangana Herath
In a recent media release, the Blackcaps coach Gary Stead voiced his excitement about the joining of Vikram and Rangana saying that their presence will enhance the team’s knowledge and skill set:
“Yeah! We are excited to welcome Vikram Rathour and Rangana Herath to our test squad. Both these ex-cricketers are highly respected in the cricket world, and I am aware that our players will be aiming to utilize this chance to learn from them,” Stead said.
Additionally, Stead talked about Herath’s contribution that will hugely benefit the left-arm spinners for the Sri Lankan test series:
“Exactly! It is a great opportunity for our three left-arm orthodox spinners in the squad namely Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, and Mitchell Santner to work with Rangana for the next three matches on the subcontinent, which will be highly beneficial. He (Rangana Herath) has grabbed 100 test wickets in Galle, which is the hosting venue for our two test matches against Sri Lanka. As a result, his knowledge about that venue will be extremely valuable”, Stead added.
Based on Gary Stead’s statement, it is understood that Rangana Herath took 100 out of 430 wickets in Galle, and his experience can help the New Zealand spinners deliver an outstanding performance on Sri Lankan cricketing turf. You can find five spin bowlers in the test squad namely Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, and part-time spin bowling options such as Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra.
Conclusion:
Currently, the Kiwis rank in 3rd position in the WTC (World Test Championship) 2023–25 points table with 36 points and 50.0 PCT. Most importantly, Vikram Rathour is expected to provide crucial guidance for the New Zealand batters to perform well on Indian pitches since they have a 3-match test series against India from October 16 (Wednesday) to November 05 (Tuesday).
The collaboration of Rathour and Herald on a short-term basis will provide essential guidance for New Zealand to perform well on Asian soil as both the test matches against Sri Lanka are part of the WTC 2023–25 cycle.
However, you need to know that the one-off test series against Afghanistan wouldn’t be counted for New Zealand in the WTC 2023–25 points table. Rather, it is New Zealand’s preparatory phase for the red ball series against Sri Lanka and India, to boost their rankings in the points table. This helps them increase their chances of securing the first two positions in the points table and playing in the WTC 2025 finals at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Also, the Blackcaps would resume their international career with the Afghanistan test series as their first assignment, following their disappointing performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024, where Kane Williamson’s led side was eliminated from the tournament’s group stages.
Finally, the cricketing world is eager to watch how New Zealand overcomes its disastrous World Cup campaign after a long break and deliver a sensational performance in the forthcoming test series under the guidance of Vikram Rathour and Rangana Herath.