BJ Watling to Return Home

Tuesday, 21^st Feb 2023

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BJ Watling to Return Home

Wellington Firebirds White Ball Head Coach BJ Watling will leave his position at the end of the season as he returns to Hamilton to be with his family.

Watling, who was on an initial one-season contract, has informed the team that he will not be seeking a contract extension beyond the 2022/23 season due to family reasons.

“Thank you to Cricket Wellington – and to Cam Mitchell and Bruce Edgar in particular, who have given me a great opportunity to start off my coaching journey,” said Watling.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to work within this environment, amongst good people who want the best for each other.”

Family is a major consideration for Watling, wanting to support his wife and children as they enter a new phase of their life.

“I won’t be looking to carry on my role down in Wellington next summer, for me my family is very important and at this stage in my career making the move down south is too big a step for me and my family.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better group to begin my career with. The players work hard, they strive to become better and there is a huge amount of passion and talent for the region.

“I know in the years to come we will see a lot more players pushing to become Blackcaps and winning titles for Wellington.”

During his spell as White Ball Head Coach, Watling oversaw the development of a young Firebirds team, bringing in several key rookies to make their white ball debuts with the team.

Cricket Wellington CEO Cam Mitchell thanked Watling for his contributions to the team and passed on his best wishes for the future.

“We’d like to thank BJ Watling for his time at Cricket Wellington. His coaching has made a considerable impact on our core group of players and the values he instilled in our team will pay dividends for years to come,” said Mitchell.

“It was a privilege to have BJ begin his coaching journey with the Wellington Firebirds and although it is sad to see him leave, we understand the importance of being close to family and wish him all the best for the future”.

Cricket Wellington will be recruiting for a full-time Head Coach in the coming weeks.

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For more detail contact Alex Geenty

alex@cricketwellington.co.nz or 02040984597