New Zealand have brought back one of the most respected figures from their recent Test era, with former wicketkeeper-batter BJ Watling appointed as the new batting coach of the Black Caps.
Watling will replace Luke Ronchi, whose stint as New Zealand’s batting coach will officially come to an end after the Test series against India in December. However, the transition will begin earlier, with Watling joining the national support staff on November 16 and working alongside Ronchi before formally taking charge.
The appointment gives New Zealand a familiar face with considerable international and domestic experience. Watling was one of the key players in the country’s rise in Test cricket during the 2010s and was part of the side that won the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.
New Zealand Cricket confirmed that Watling is currently the head coach of Northern Districts and will make the move into the national setup after building a coaching career since his international retirement.
The timing is particularly interesting because Watling’s first full assignment as batting coach will come on New Zealand’s four-Test tour of Australia.
Watling will join New Zealand before the India Tests
Although Ronchi remains in charge for the India series, Watling will not wait until December to enter the Black Caps environment.
He will join the support staff on November 16, allowing him to spend time with the team and work directly with Ronchi during the handover period. New Zealand’s two-Test series against India is scheduled for November 19 and December 1, with Ronchi’s tenure ending after the series.
That approach should give Watling an opportunity to understand the team’s current batting plans, preparation methods and individual requirements before taking full responsibility.
It also means the change will not feel like an overnight switch. Instead, New Zealand Cricket have opted for a gradual transition between two former international wicketkeeper-batters.
Ronchi has been an important part of New Zealand’s coaching setup, and his departure comes after several years in the role. His next challenge will be in franchise cricket, with the former New Zealand wicketkeeper set to move into a head-coaching position with the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.
For New Zealand, Watling represents continuity as well as a fresh voice.
Why BJ Watling is an interesting choice
Watling’s playing career explains why New Zealand Cricket have placed so much faith in him.
The South Africa-born former cricketer played 75 Tests for New Zealand, scoring 3,790 runs at an average of 37.52. He made eight Test centuries and 19 fifties and became New Zealand’s most prolific wicketkeeper-batter in Test cricket in terms of runs.
Almost 3,400 of his Test runs came while he was keeping wicket, a record for a New Zealand wicketkeeper.
But numbers only tell part of the Watling story.
He became particularly well known for his ability to bat through difficult situations. New Zealand regularly relied on him in the lower middle order when the team was under pressure, and his patience and determination made him one of the toughest players to dismiss.
His Test career ended in the most fitting way possible.
Watling’s final international appearance came in the inaugural World Test Championship final against India in Southampton in 2021. New Zealand defeated India by eight wickets to become the first WTC champions.
Watling took five catches in the match and finished his international career with the World Test Championship trophy.
It was an ending that reflected much of his career: understated, resilient and successful.
More than 10,000 first-class runs
Watling also brings a substantial amount of experience from first-class cricket.
Across 178 first-class matches, he finished with more than 10,000 runs and 18 centuries, while also taking 450 catches. His first-class career included appearances for New Zealand, Northern Districts and Durham.
That experience could prove valuable in a New Zealand batting group that includes players operating at different stages of their careers.
Watling understands the demands of long-form cricket from both sides of the boundary. He has spent years dealing with pressure as a player and has now spent several seasons developing his coaching skills.
That combination is likely to be one of his biggest strengths.
His coaching career has already produced results
Watling did not simply move into the national coaching role immediately after retirement.
Since stepping away from international cricket in 2021, he has worked with New Zealand domestic teams, including Wellington Firebirds and Northern Districts.
His recent work with Northern Districts has strengthened his credentials considerably.
Under his leadership, Northern Districts won the Plunket Shield in 2024-25 and the Super Smash in 2025-26. Those results gave Watling valuable experience in managing players, developing performances and handling the pressures that come with coaching successful teams.
Now he gets the opportunity to take those lessons into the international game.
New Zealand Cricket’s high-performance leadership has also pointed to Watling’s strong relationships with members of the current squad as an advantage.
That familiarity could be especially important during a period when the Black Caps are preparing for a demanding international schedule.
Tom Latham backs Watling’s appointment
New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham has welcomed Watling’s return to the Black Caps environment.
Latham highlighted the former wicketkeeper’s determination and the standards he maintained throughout his playing career.
That endorsement matters because the batting coach’s role is not simply about technical work in the nets. The position involves communication, preparation, confidence and understanding what individual players need during different phases of a series.
Watling already knows what it feels like to be inside the New Zealand dressing room.
He knows the expectations surrounding the Black Caps and has played alongside several members of the current setup. That could allow him to build trust quickly.
Watling himself has made it clear that he is excited by the opportunity.
He described returning to the team and working with the current group as a special opportunity, while also acknowledging what the Black Caps and their support staff have achieved in recent years.
India series will be the transition point
The India tour will therefore become an important dividing line for New Zealand’s batting department.
India’s tour of New Zealand begins with a five-match T20I series on October 22, followed by five ODIs and two Tests. The Test series begins on November 19.
Watling will join the setup on November 16, meaning he will be around the squad during the India white-ball-to-Test transition.
Ronchi will remain the batting coach through the Test series before Watling officially takes over.
For Watling, it is an unusual but potentially valuable start to a national coaching career.
He will be able to observe the team during a major home series before immediately facing another significant challenge.
Australia will be his first major test
Watling’s first assignment as the full-time batting coach will be New Zealand’s four-Test tour of Australia.
That is hardly a gentle introduction.
Playing Test cricket in Australia presents a completely different set of challenges, particularly for a batting group facing pace, bounce and relentless pressure over long periods.
Watling’s own career should give him a strong understanding of what is required.
His experience as a lower-middle-order batter was built around concentration and survival. Those qualities will be particularly relevant if New Zealand find themselves under pressure against Australia’s attack.
The Australia series will therefore provide an early indication of how Watling’s coaching philosophy translates from domestic cricket to the international stage.
For New Zealand, the appointment is about more than replacing Luke Ronchi. It is an attempt to bring back someone who understands the identity of the Black Caps and has already demonstrated that he can develop winning teams as a coach.
Watling’s playing career was built on patience, resilience and an ability to absorb pressure. His coaching career has now started producing trophies as well.
The next chapter will be considerably bigger.
With India arriving first and Australia waiting immediately afterwards, BJ Watling will have little time to settle into his new position.
But if his playing career and recent domestic coaching success are anything to go by, New Zealand may have found a batting coach whose understanding of the game goes well beyond technique.
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