30 Jan 2014

Former Black Caps coach slams Cricket Australia

4:20 pm on 30 January 2014

Dumped Australian assistant and former Black Caps coach Steve Rixon has taken a parting swipe at Cricket Australia and high performance manager Pat Howard.

Rixon's role on the Australian team coaching staff came to an abrupt end on Wednesday, when it was announced his services were no longer required.

The former Test wicketkeeper says his departure was not completely unexpected, reiterating he was always going to step away before the IPL starts in April.

Rixon maintained he had no issue with coach Darren Lehmann's decision to cut him and restructure his staff, but he said he had "little respect" for Cricket Australia.

Asked whether Howard - a former rugby union player, coach and high performance boss - was the interfering CA staffer he was specifically talking about, Rixon replied, "Let me say, I hope he was a good rugby player."

However, Rixon says Lehmann and captain Michael Clarke were well-placed to run their own ship and ignore outside voices.

The 59-year-old will again work with the Chennai Super Kings and hopes to pick up a gig with other Twenty20 teams down the track, including in the Big Bash League.

Rixon coached the New Zealand cricket team from 1996 to 1999.