New Zealand employ American baseball coach

New Zealand have followed Australia in hiring an American baseball coach to work with the squad over the next three weeks. Mike Young, who once attended spring training with the San Francisco Giants, has lived in Brisbane for the past 25 years and has been a fielding and throwing consultant for Australia.

"I work for the New Zealand cricket team now, so my job is to make them the best and if they beat Australia, then that's Australia's problem," Young, a former short-stop in the Triple A league, one level below Major League Baseball, told the New Zealand Herald. "I'm not contracted, I'm a consultant, and I need change too - it's good for me. I just want to spend three weeks with this organisation and enjoy myself. I wish the Australians well in South Africa, but right now I'm a Black Cap."

Scott Styris was impressed after an hour's session with Young. "He's been a breath of fresh air in our side," Styris told stuff.co.nz. "He's trying to upskill and help us towards our goal which is to win the World Cup, anything that he can provide us we'll gladly accept. A lot of his principles are based around balance, fielding the ball, catching, diving, stopping, being switched on, conserving energy as well as looking after your body, which is the way to throw correctly and hopefully minimise injuries."

In Australia Young became the national baseball coach and was eventually approached by John Buchanan, the former Queensland and current Australian mentor, to help cricketers. He has been working with the Australian side for more than five years, but has not been able to reach a full-time position.

Young, who has also served as England's fielding coach for a four-week stint, maintained that for the time being he would simply be reinforcing some fundamental aspects of fielding for the New Zealand players, who he regarded as "exceptional athletes". "It's all about wanting to field, wanting to go out there and do a job, and when you're dealing with these guys it's an enjoyable task," Young said. "But to be a good fielder you've got to want to field, and it's not an easy thing to do in cricket; you're out there a long time."

Young believes the fact that he has never played cricket is an advantage. It helps him think outside the box and provide a different perspective. "Often it's just a different voice," he said. "John [Bracewell] is an outstanding coach and the reality is that I'm delivering the same message that he delivers, but the fact it's coming from a different person sometimes helps." New Zealand face West Indies tomorrow in the second ODI of the five matches - they lead 1-0 - before the three-Test series.