Moles says NZ players behind shock resignation

Former New Zealand coach Andy Moles has confirmed a lack of player support was behind his shock resignation less than a year into his tenure.

Moles, 48, who was contracted until the 2011 one-day World Cup, resigned on Saturday following an internal review and only two days after New Zealand Cricket (NZC) affirmed his position amid speculation that unnamed senior players wanted him removed.

Moles was told he had lost the confidence of the players in a meeting with NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan and had felt blindsided by the revelation, the Englishman told local media on Sunday.

"That's the most disappointing thing," Moles was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald newspaper.

"We've been going 11 months but I had no inkling, no communication to say there was a problem until we got back from South Africa (this month).

"If I had got some feedback earlier, we may have been able to quell this problem... Obviously we'll never know because the feedback wasn't forthcoming."

New Zealand was an unexpected finalist at the Champions Trophy in South Africa this month, but has largely struggled under Moles's tenure, slumping to Test series defeats to Sri Lanka away and India at home this year.

POOR CHEMISTY

Moles dismissed suggestions that his techniques or tactics had been questioned, and said that it was a problem of "chemistry" between himself and some of his players.

"I'll take it on the chin and admit I haven't got that right," he said.

A former English county batsman, Moles succeeded John Bracewell last November after coaching provincial side Northern Districts for two seasons.

New Zealand have not named a replacement and will head to the United Arab Emirates for a limited-overs series against Pakistan next month without a head coach.

Captain Daniel Vettori, named by local media as one of the disaffected players, nominated former New Zealand captain and India coach John Wright as a candidate to fill the vacuum while administrators scour for a replacement.

"There's no reason we can't utilise his skills. Not necessarily in a head coaching role, but it would almost be remiss of us not to tap into his knowledge," he said.