New Zealand Cricket has revealed that BJ Watling would succeed Luke Ronchi as the Black Caps’ batting coach in early December 2026. Ronchi accepted an invitation to become the head coach of the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, capping a six-year relationship with New Zealand after the Test series against India ended.
Watling, 41, will join the Black Caps support staff on November 16, 2026, to work alongside Ronchi during a handover period before officially taking up the post when the team embarks for a four-Test series in Australia. Ronchi has been the batting coach since 2020, when he succeeded Peter Fulton.
“I’m quite excited. Coming back into the team and working with the present group is a unique opportunity that I do not take lightly. What this team and the support staff have accomplished together in recent years has been incredible, and I’m excited to contribute to a world-class team,” said Watling, as quoted by The New Zealand Herald.
What does Watling contribute to the Black Caps’ batting lineup?
Watling retired from international cricket following New Zealand’s World Test Championship final triumph in 2021. During his playing career, he represented the Black Caps 108 times in all formats, including 75 Tests, scoring 3,790 runs at an average of 37.52. Notably, all eight of his Test centuries came in games that New Zealand won.
His first-class record is as impressive. Watling scored over 10,000 runs in 178 appearances, including 18 three-figure innings. He also shares the world record sixth-wicket partnership of 365 runs with Kane Williamson, which they set against Sri Lanka in 2015.
After retiring, Watling went into domestic coaching. He started with Wellington before joining Northern Districts, where he led the team to the Plunket Shield in 2025 and Super Smash triumph in 2026. These back-to-back domestic honours bolstered his case for a national position ahead of this appointment.
How has New Zealand’s Test captain handled the change?
Tom Latham, New Zealand’s Test captain, publicly endorsed the nomination. Latham pointed out that only one of the Black Caps’ preferred Test top six is under the age of 30, highlighting why Watling’s high-level expertise is perfectly suited to this squad.
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“BJ epitomised what it means to be a Black Cap, so having someone like him back in the organization will be beneficial to our environment. There was never any dispute about his effort and commitment when he went on the pitch, and I’m confident that same approach will translate into his coaching style’, said Latham.
