Former Kiwi Star BJ Watling Appointed New Zealand New Batting Coach

Former wicketkeeper-batter BJ Watling has been appointed as the new batting coach of the New Zealand cricket team. He will replace current batting coach Luke Ronchi.

New Zealand Cricket announced in a statement on Thursday that Ronchi will step down from his role after the Test series against India, which will conclude in early December. Watling will take over from him and will assume full responsibility before New Zealand’s upcoming four-Test series in Australia. However, as part of the transition process, he will join the team from November 16.

The 40-year-old coach entered the coaching profession after retiring from international cricket in 2021. He has experience working as the head coach of New Zealand domestic teams Wellington Firebirds and Northern Districts. Under his guidance, Northern Districts won the Plunket Shield in the 2024–25 season and the Super Smash title in the 2025–26 season.

Expressing his excitement about taking up the new role with the national team, Watling said, “I’m incredibly excited. Returning to the Blackcaps family and getting the opportunity to work with the current team is something very special. This team and the support staff have achieved tremendous success over the past few years, and I want to contribute to maintaining that momentum.”

New Zealand High Performance head Daryl Gibson praised Watling’s appointment, saying, “Watling has proven his credentials as a coach with Wellington and Northern Districts. He has a great relationship with most of the players in the team.”

Test captain Tom Latham welcomed Watling to the role, saying, “BJ is someone who is known for his competitive mindset on the field. I believe he will bring the same patience and focus he showed as a player into his coaching.”

Watling scored more than 3,400 runs in Test cricket for New Zealand as a wicketkeeper-batter, which remains a record for a New Zealand wicketkeeper. In 178 first-class matches, he has scored more than 10,000 runs, including 18 centuries, and has taken 450 catches.