Gavin Larsen Appointed New Zealand Men’s Selection Manager

Gavin Larsen was appointed as New Zealand men’s selection manager and he is set to begin his role from November 3.

Gavin Larsen has been appointed as the selection manager of the New Zealand men’s cricket team, filling the gap left by the departure of Sam Wells. In this role, Larsen will work alongside head coach Rob Walter to select the New Zealand men’s senior team, as well as the New Zealand A and New Zealand XI squads.

“I feel absolutely honoured to be stepping back into the BlackCaps and the national high performance environment. 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,” Larsen said.

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Larsen, who played eight Tests and 121 ODIs for New Zealand as a medium pacer between 1990 and 1999, has extensive experience in cricket administration. He served as chief executive of Cricket Wellington and as cricket operations manager ahead of the 2015 ODI World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.

He was New Zealand’s selection manager from 2015 to 2023. Larsen then became the performance director at Warwickshire County Cricket Club before returning to New Zealand to take on the role of commercial manager for the basketball team Nelson Giants.

How Gavin Larsen Will Be Efficient?

Gibson added that Larsen would manage the selection processes while working closely with domestic scouts and major association coaches to stay updated on the domestic scene.

“Gavin’s familiarity with the role and his understanding of the requirements played an important part in his appointment. 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 said.

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Gibson confirmed that the selection model would remain unchanged, with Larsen empowered to brief, advise, collaborate with, and challenge Walter, who retains the ultimate decision-making authority.

“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,” Gibson added.