BBL 2018-19: Daniel Vettori steps down as Brisbane Heat coach

The former New Zealand cricketer Daniel Vettori has decided not to renew his contract as the head coach of Brisbane Heat after the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) season. He was in charge of the team for four years and a semi-final finish in the 2016-17 season was the best performance from the team under him. This decision from Vettori comes close on the heels of his exit from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL and Middlesex in the T20 Blast.

The Brisbane Heat registered one of the biggest wins in the history of T20 cricket on Friday against the Melbourne Stars while the chasing the total in excess of 150. The duo of Max Bryant and Ben Cutting gunned down the target in 10 overs to keep the team in contention. They would now want the Sydney Thunder to not win by a big margin against the Hurricanes and also need a favour from the Sydney Sixers to beat the Stars in the final league game to qualify for the semi-final.

These results will decide if Vettori’s stint will extend with the team for a game or two. Even Brendon McCullum has announced his BBL retirement which marks the end of an era for the Heat as both the players were associated with the team for a long time.

I have loved my time

“After careful consideration over the past few weeks, I have decided not to seek a contract renewal as head coach of the Brisbane Heat. I informed the General Manager of my decision prior to the game against Melbourne Stars at the MCG and that was accepted by the club. I told the playing group and coaching and support staff of my decision before last night’s match.

“I have loved my time at Brisbane, firstly as a player and then as coach, and the experience of being part of the growth of the BBL has been personally rewarding,” Daniel Vettori said according to Cricbuzz.

With the team knowing about Vettori’s decision, Chris Lynn, the skipper, was happy that they managed to win the last league game and dedicated it to the coach and McCullum. “It was important for us to do our best to send Baz off a winner in our last home game but equally so for Dan. His composure throughout our campaigns has been a constant in the background and I’m grateful to have benefited from his experience and knowledge of the game,” he said after the game on Friday.

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