Gavin Larsen is heading home. Two years after leaving New Zealand Cricket, the former medium-pacer has accepted the role of selection manager for the men’s programme, stepping into the vacancy created when Sam Wells moved on.
In practical terms, Larsen will sift through form, fitness and future planning before passing recommendations to head coach Rob Walter, who keeps the casting vote. “I feel absolutely honoured to be stepping back into the BlackCaps and the national high performance environment,” Larsen said. “I’m hugely passionate about cricket in this country and to be given another opportunity to contribute at the highest level is really exciting. I can’t wait to get started this summer and hopefully help play a part in continuing the success of the BlackCaps.”
The 61-year-old’s CV is familiar to Kiwi fans: eight Tests and 121 ODIs in the 1990s, followed by stints running Cricket Wellington and steering New Zealand’s selection panel between 2015 and 2023. More recently he crossed hemispheres to become performance director at Warwickshire, then tried his hand in basketball administration with the Nelson Giants. It’s a varied background, but the common thread is talent management, a skill NZC believe still fits.
Daryl Gibson, the board’s high-performance chief, underlined that confidence. “Gavin’s familiarity with the role and his understanding of the requirements played an important part in his appointment,” Gibson said. “But we were also impressed with his passion and energy, and his desire to get back into the game and help make a difference.”
Gibson stressed the relationship between coach and selector. “While Rob will make the final decisions as the chief selector, we want Gav preparing him with as much intel as possible, and challenging his thinking and decisions. This requires a strong relationship between the two parties and we’re confident Gav has the soft skills, and the acumen to make it work.”
That same sentence is worth hearing twice, he reckons, because collaboration is central to a model NZC will not tinker with right now.
Selection mechanics: Larsen will monitor the six Major Association sides, lean on regional scouts, and track New Zealand A and the NZ XI. A bit of legwork, a bit of laptop work. Nothing flashy, just the grind that keeps the talent pipeline moving.
He clocks on officially on 3 November, just as the domestic summer warms up. Quiet timing, perhaps, yet crucial: the BlackCaps have a heavy calendar, and succession planning for a World Test Championship cycle and a looming T20 World Cup cannot wait.
