Mitchell Santner: On becoming the Blackcaps white ball captain

Published Dec 19, 2024, 6:53 AM


New Black Caps white-ball captain Mitchell Santner has issued a mission statement on how he intends to lead the team.

The 32-year-old's been anointed as Kane Williamson's successor and is keen to to bring a similarly calm dressing room presence. 

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You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave from News Talks. It'd be hi, matchy mate, how.

Very good, maybe not as good as yourself. You managed to pick up quite the role then you captain of the white Ball game. I suppose initially, is this something that you sought?

No, I don't think so. I mean, I mean, obviously lucky enough to do a little bit of the T twenty stuff the odd one day, and I guess the avenue they wanted to go down was the white Ball versus Red Bull captain. But I'm happy they asked me, and it's an honor you see it coming. I mean, there's been in talks for a little while what they kind of wanted to do, they're still a little bit of unknown. But I always thought obviously the T twenty stuff after Caine and then yeah, they obviously the combo now, which is yeah, obviously a huge honor and a challenge, a new challenge, but it's exciting.

Does it change anything you do and all the way you present, the way you play anything.

No, I don't think so. I mean you probably have to talk a little bit more now, but outside of that, I think you know, the game plans and everything is is the same. Try approach it the same, but you just try to get get around everyone a little bit more. And I think, you know, a big part of that kind of role is communication and making sure everyone knows where they stand, what role they need to perform, and you know where they sit in the team.

Close relationship with the coaching staff too. That's key because you have the conduit after all, haven't you match?

Yeah, somewhere in the middle there is it going to Are you.

Going to contribute more to the coaching aspect? Do you fall into that role a little more now that you are the.

Captain, Well, you just take on the head coach role as well.

Well, I don't know, you've got your with Gary Stead or who it's going to be. Plainly, you've got to be the communicator between them. Come on, let's chuck me your boone.

Yeah. I think it's like, obviously, you know, I'll leave the coaching stuff to the coaches, and but there's obviously a lot more, you knowind the scenes that go on, a lot more communication between between everyone, and I want it to be you know, everyone feels they can speak, everyone feels, you know, a safe place and that's what I kind of want to want to bring forward. And you know, obviously that we've got a lot of experience in the one day stuff, maybe a little bit less than T twenty, but you just wanted to, you know, for people to feel welcome doing as soon as they're there, and you know, gives them this opportunity to perform miss skills and that's all we can and can ask for.

Did you have a yarn with your teammates both young and old before you accept with the position.

Yeah, a little bit. I mean it was kind of through that Schlanker period where we had that kind of a newish, youngish team in Sri Lanka, and yeah, but it was it was nice to I guess see you a few fresh faces, a blend of you know, experience and youth, and obviously with a few major tournaments coming up, there's you know, I think we're in a good space. We've got you know, a lot of experience still there with you know, a few young guns coming through, which is always nice.

You've got it's similar but not the same as previous captain to the side. You look at the calm manner in which they approach captain saying you look to Tom Latham and you look to Caine Williamson. So consistency and attitude I expect quite important. Do you sit with that?

Yeah, I think, you know, we've done a lot of good stuff in the white Ball for for a number of years now, and it's more about the process of of how I want to approach it. Take results aside. Obviously everyone wants to win, so it's no doubt. But you know, I think what I bring is that kind of calm, calm approach and and just want everyone to be clear, you know, in their roles, whether it's bat where it's the top of their mark with the ball, and and you know we talk about you know, if the plans right, you know we're going to miss execution, that's fine, That's that's life, that's that's cricket, and we can we can live with that. But yeah, I think the stuff I've done so far, that's what I've tried to do is make sure everyone feels, you know, a part of something going forward and as clear as they can be.

New white Ball skipper for the Black Captain MIT's Santana joins us, What about your ability to pivot as things change out there in the park. There's a lot to do with the coach plainly, but with your captaincy, are you quite adept at a changing direction should be necessary? Are you, I suppose Gatsy enough to do that to change the plan?

Yeah? I think so. I mean, you know, I've seen a lot of a lot of white ball cricket over my career, a lot of different phases of games, and we've still got a lot of experience that, you know, I can lean on as well, which is which is nice. But you know, I'm I'm welcoming anyone to come up to me during the game and kind of see what they feel, see if they see something. But it's yeah, it's I think, yeah, like you said, it's kind of a similar role. But I think out in the middle, it's it's been clear, even me, it's been clear to to what's potentially going to happen, what's if we can try make something happen as well.

How's she luck with the toss match?

Actually not great.

It's not something you can do. I can't breaktice either, can you, brother. That's that's that's kind of tough. It must be nice to know that you can't.

Be dropped now in how many games you're losing, but that solidity.

Is what the team needs in a captain. I don't think you'd stress about that anyway. You seem reasonably laid back.

No, Yeah, I think it's you know, it's all part of it. But yeah, I think that continuity in selection and plans is actually a massive part of it. I mean, changing conditions obviously change the team slightly, but I think we've had successes. We've had you know, a group that's been doing it for a long time and you know, knows their game, their role, and then it's you know, when the new guys get an opportunity, it's making them feel like, you know, they're part of something going forward and just trying to execute their role. That's all you can kind of hope for and give the guys a freedom to do that.

We talk before, Mitchell Santner about your coaching or lack thereof. Plainly, Gary Stead, what's the middle of the year, I think his role comes up for grabs. Do you know anything about where he's going coaching? Will you have any say in what happens if he does decide to change and not coach anymore, be it at a test or White ball level, because you're separating off. You've got a red bull captain and a white ball captain, which suggests possibly that might also happen at the white ball level when it comes to the coach.

Yeah, I guess that's a little bit of of my pay grade at the moment. But I'm not sure, you know what his aspirations are going forward. I know he's done a great job for us for a long time. And you know, if he does reapply or gets it not again, that's cool. And then but yeah, obviously we have to wait and see we've got you know, we'll just treat it the same leading up to the champions Trophy. That's obviously the next major event for us, and you know what happened, ever happens after that happens. But yeah, I'm not sure where what they're going to do. It's I think that's probably a board decision and and I'll just I'll just try work about the stuff on the field.

To the line. But you say not, it's above your pay grade. You're the captain now, mate, I think you pay grade to be right up there, wouldn't it match?

Yeah, I guess we'll we Yeah, there's obviously a little bit going on behind the scenes in the high performance space as well, So it's I think we have to we'll obviously just focus on on the Sri Lanka series and and and then the champions trophy stuff after that, and let those guys kind of go to work about what's gonna what's gonna happen after.

That chalky flat line, the Santanna Claus near the skipper, You've got another nickname we can throw at you.

I saw see one camp the other day. It was Santa's Little help has gone from that to Father Christmas nice one. I was like, I've got a bit of a I've got a bit of a ginger beer, not not white Beard. So that's I don't know how that works.

Well, I get in a peroxide. I'm sure you can go about it, although I don't know if you could quite get a clause bed going might be a bit beyond you on that. Hey, Mitchell Santa, congratulations on the role. I'm looking forward to continually dealing with you, whether you like it or not. You kind of have to now, as you see being the captain, you've actually although I'm saying that as the captain you could probably hide behind quite a few people. Couldn't you tell me you won't.

I won't, but I, like you said, I could. I could just kind of tell guys to do media instead.

Brilliant Medialy aids on Officer, Captain, Spinner batsman as well. Super stuff. Good on you, Mitch, go well, Merry Christmas you much. For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks. They'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio

Sportstalk with D'Arcy Waldegrave

D'Arcy Waldegrave lives and breathes sport. He loves motorsport and revels in the torment of being a 
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