Photo Credit: Otago Cricket
The Otago Volts and the Auckland Aces will both have fresh Head Coaches at the helm next season.
Just one day after Otago Cricket announced that Volts Head Coach, and former Zimbabwe international, Dion Ebrahim will end his three-season tenure with the Otago Volts at the end of the Plunket Shield this month, Auckland Cricket has also released news of Auckland Aces Head Coach Doug Watson’s impending departure.
The former South African cricketer was appointed as interim Head Coach for the Scotland Men’s team, with CD’s Glenn Pocknall assisting him, in April last year when Scotland launched into their campaign to make last year’s World Cup.
On a cricketing sabbatical, Watson led the Scotland team on an exciting journey through the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe and the 2024 World T20 Europe Qualifier – which Scotland won, before returning to his Auckland Aces contract for 2023/24 in August.
Since then, he has coached the Aces to the Dream11 Super Smash title this summer, and to The Ford Trophy one-day Grand Final in which the team ran eventual champion Canterbury hard to finish as runner-up.
Watson is now departing the New Zealand Domestic scene to take up a permanent position as Scotland Men’s Head Coach, with Cricket Scotland.
Watson said, “Firstly, I would like to thank Auckland Cricket for agreeing to release me with a year still remaining on my contract.
“It’s been a brilliant five years involved with the Aces and an honour to work with all the players and staff alike.
“The Aces are a fantastic group of men, and being able to play a small part in their development as players and people has been a privilege.”
In Dunedin, Ebrahim also resigned with a year to run on his contract.
Otago Cricket Chief Executive Mike Coggan said, “Dion has worked tirelessly with the Otago Volts over the past three seasons, and has been an excellent servant of Otago Cricket and our HP programme.
“We wish him the very best. I certainly do understand just how difficult this decision has been for him.”
Ebrahim said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenging and rewarding aspects of coaching the Otago Volts.
“I would like to thank Otago Cricket for the opportunity, and wish them, along with all the players, the very best for the future.”
Name of Author: New Zealand Cricket
The New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, made their Test debut in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth nation to play Test cricket. After waiting 26 years for their first Test win against the West Indies in 1956, they also played their first ODI in 1972–73 against Pakistan. New Zealand are the inaugural World Test Championship champions (2021) and have won the ICC Champions Trophy (2000). They have reached the Cricket World Cup final twice and the T20 World Cup final once.
