John Wright (cricketer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Wright
New Zealand
Personal information
Batting style	Left-hand bat
Bowling style	Right-arm medium
Career statistics
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	82	149
Runs scored	5334	3891
Batting average	37.82	26.46
100s/50s	12/23	1/24
Top score	185	101
Balls bowled	30	24
Wickets	-	-
Bowling average	-	-
5 wickets in innings	-	-
10 wickets in match	-	n/a
Best bowling	-	-
Catches/stumpings	38/-	51/-
As of 4 February 2006 Source: Cricinfo

John Geoffrey Wright (born July 5, 1954 in Darfield, New Zealand) is a former international cricketer representing - and captaining - New Zealand, and, following his retirement in 1993, coaching the Indian national cricket team from 2000 to 2005. He made his international debut in 1978 against England. During his career, he scored over 5,000 Test runs at an average of 37.82 runs per dismissal with 12 Test centuries, 10 of them in New Zealand. He also played for Derbyshire in England. In first-class cricket he scored over 25,000 runs, having scored over 50 first-class centuries. He has also scored over 10,000 runs in List A limited overs cricket.

He typically opened for New Zealand, and was noted as a tenacious, rather than spectacular, batsman. His team nickname was "shake"; reputedly a reflection on his packing technique. Together with Bruce Edgar of Wellington, he formed what was arguably New Zealand's most successful and reliable opening partnership. Toward the end of his career he used an unorthodox batting stance; whereas most batsman face the bowler with the bat in line with their legs, and perpendicular to the ground, Wright would stand with his bat raised in parallel to it.

After retiring, Wright worked in sales for around two years - self-confessedly without great success. After taking up coaching for Kent County Cricket Club, Wright a successful coaching career with India, from 2000 to 2005, during which time the team improved immensely, drawing a test series against Australia in Australia 1-1 in a four-match test series in 2003-04 (Steve Waugh's farewell test series), winning a series against arch-rivals, Pakistan, and reaching the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. The following months saw the team lose form, and series' to Australia and Pakistan. In May 2005, former Australian skipper, Greg Chappell took over from Wright.

Wright was also appointed as coach of the World XI team that played Australia in the ICC Super Series 2005.

In 1990 together with New Zealand writer Paul Thomas he wrote an entertaining autobiography 'Christmas in Rarotonga'.

In 2006, John authored the book "John Wright's Indian Summers" describing his experiences as coach of the Indian Cricket Team along with Indian journalist Sharda Ugra and Paul Thomas.

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Wright's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).

[edit] References

• Cricinfo page on John Wright

v • d • e New Zealand squad - 1979 Cricket World Cup 1 Burgess (c) • 2 Cairns • 3 Chatfield • 4 Coney • 5 Edgar • 6 Hadlee • 7 Howarth • 8 Lees (wk) • 9 McKechnie • 10 Morrison • 11 Stott • 12 Troup • 13 Turner • 14 Wright

v • d • e New Zealand squad - 1983 Cricket World Cup 1 Howarth (c) • 2 Bracewell • 3 Cairns • 4 Chatfield • 5 Coney • 6 JJ Crowe • 7 MD Crowe • 8 Edgar • 9 Hadlee • 10 Lees (wk) • 11 Smith (wk) • 12 Snedden • 13 Turner • 14 Wright

v • d • e New Zealand squad - 1987 Cricket World Cup 1 JJ Crowe (c) • 2 Boock • 3 Bracewell • 4 Chatfield • 5 MD Crowe • 6 Horne • 7 Jones • 8 Morrison • 9 Patel • 10 Rutherford • 11 Smith (wk) • 12 Snedden • 13 Watson • 14 Wright

v • d • e New Zealand squad - 1992 Cricket World Cup 1 Crowe (c) • 2 Cairns • 3 Greatbatch • 4 Harris • 5 Jones • 6 Larsen • 7 Latham • 8 Morrison • 9 Patel • 10 Rutherford • 11 Smith (wk) • 12 Su'a • 13 Watson • 14 Wright