Former Kiwi Coach Mike Hesson to Apply for India Head Coach at BCCI

Mike Hesson, the former New Zealand Coach is all set to apply at BCCI for the position of the Head Coach of India. The last date to submit the applications is July 30 where the current Head Coach Ravi Shastri will get a direct entry into the interview process.

Mike Hesson was the head coach of the Kiwis’ for six long years before resigning in 2018. His stint with them was quite successful as he guided New Zealand to their first World Cup final in 2015. Hesson coached Kings XI Punjab earlier this year but now wants to get back to the international circuit once again. He took over as the New Zealand coach from John Wright in 2012 after a short stint with the Kenyan national team.

“Hesson is very much interested in applying for the head coach’s position,” a source said to CricketNext. “He has spent a couple of months in India already working with Kings XI in IPL as well as doing television work with the hosts broadcasters. He’ll love to work with a high-profile team like India after a highly successful stint with New Zealand.”

“Hesson and his agent need to be convinced about the conditions of the job as laid down by the BCCI. But chances are that they will be sending their application in soon,” the source said.

However, he will have to give an affidavit to clear him of potential ‘conflict of interest’ as Hesson has his IPL job with Kings XI.

“Gary Kirsten applied for the women coach’s job earlier this year when he was still employed with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He had to furnish an affidavit to the BCCI stating that he would give up his position with the IPL franchise if he was selected for the job. Although Kirsten was the first choice of the ad-hoc Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), he couldn’t accept the position because he was not able to fulfil the terms of the affidavit,” a senior BCCI official informed CricketNext.

However, he was initially criticized for his role when he gave Brendon McCullum the national captaincy in place of Ross Taylor but he tackled his players well and Taylor played a key role in the success of New Zealand under him.

Kane Williamson, the current Kiwi coach who took over the reins from McCullum after the 2015 World Cup, praised Mike Hesson’s level-headed approach.

“When I came into the role, one of the good things he did was he said, ‘how do you want to look to try and do it and what do you think? We can work together on that?’ We would challenge each other on things but ultimately the goal was the same – it’s about the team and seeing it progress,” Kane Williamson said about Hesson.

The former Kiwi coach has worked with Indian players like KL Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami at Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League.