Bond joins Vettori as Brisbane Heat coaching staff

Brisbane, Aug 20 - A New Zealand coaching influx ahead of the fifth season of the T20 Big Bash League (BBL) has continued with former Black Caps fast bowler Shane Bond joining Brisbane Heat as an assistant coach here on Thursday.

Bond will link with head coach and former teammate Daniel Vettori, who was confirmed as Stuart Law's replacement in April. 

The 40-year-old will be one of three prominent Kiwi coaches in the BBL this season, with his former captain Stephen Fleming taking over from Greg Shipperd as head coach of the Melbourne Stars, a sports website reported.

Bond joins Heat with a strong reputation having overseen rapid improvement in New Zealand's pace stocks in his three years as Black Caps bowling coach from 2012 to 2015. He was part of Ricky Ponting's backroom staff for the Mumbai Indians' triumphant campaign in the 2015 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Heat coach Daniel Vettori on Thursday said he was pleased to add Bond to Brisbane's coaching backroom.

"Shane is an excellent coach and a very good bowling tactician, especially in T20. He was highly regarded for his recent work with Mumbai in the IPL recently and I know he is looking forward to the challenge of working in the competitive environment that the BBL brings."

"It will be good for us to share some notes with the Queensland Cricket guys and work through our plans coming into the season," Vettori said.

Bond admitted he was excited at the prospect of working in the BBL so soon after his success in the IPL with Mumbai. 

"They are arguably the two leading T20 competitions in the world so I'm keen to get to grips with the Big Bash after being impressed with the standard as an outsider looking in,'' he said.

Bond is considered one of the finest bowlers to come ever out of New Zealand, even though his career was ravaged by serious injury. 

He was restricted to just 18 Tests between 2001 and 2009, taking 87 wickets at an average of 22 and a remarkable strike-rate of 38.7, the third best in the history of the game.

The right-armer was also a superstar of the 50 over game in the 2000s, finishing his career with 147 wickets at an average of 20.88, including a hat-trick against Australia in 2007.

(IANS)