Luke Wright, who was recently appointed to New Zealand's support staff for the forthcoming tours to Ireland, Scotland, and Netherlands, has now got a new gig with Auckland as their performance and talent coach. He will start working with Auckland from September after New Zealand's tour to Europe.
Wright's wife is an Aucklander and he himself had played for Auckland in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 Super Smash tournaments, scoring 188 runs in ten innings and taking two wickets.
"I really enjoyed my time on the pitch with the team but it was the memories of how my family and I were treated that stood out," Wright said.
"My core values as a coach are to build relationships and belief in players. When players have confidence and belief, amazing things can happen. I can't wait."
Auckland head coach Doug Watson is looking forward to working with Wright.
"He will bring fresh ideas to our set-up and has a good understanding of our team culture," Watson said. "Having someone of the calibre of Luke in our setup will be great for the development of the players and our overall team environment."
Wright was part of the England side that won the T20 World Cup in 2010 in the Caribbean. He scored 90 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 123.28 and though he bowled only one over in the tournament, it was a crucial one, as he took the wicket of Cameron White in the final against Australia.
On the coaching front, Wright has had stints with Melbourne Stars (BBL), Rajshahi Kings (BPL) and Southern Vipers women (Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy).