Luke Ronchi, Jacob Oram cleared for PSL coaching roles

Luke Ronchi and Jacob Oram, assistant coaches for New Zealand, have been granted leave by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to work as coaches for Islamabad United in the 2026 Pakistan Super League, which will begin on March 26. Ronchi is set to serve as the head coach of the franchise while Oram will be one of his assistants in the team. The two will be unable to participate in the national team's upcoming series against South Africa and Bangladesh tour due to the PSL's late start. Mike Sandle, the performance manager for New Zealand, said that the board supported Ronchi and Oram's pursuit of coaching opportunities, which will benefit both them and the team. According to Sandle, "This is a great opportunity for Luke and Jake to further their coaching experience and grow their skills outside of the environment of New Zealand cricket." "Like our players, our coaches are in high demand worldwide, and we believe Luke and Jake will be able to bring back knowledge and IP that can assist the BLACKCAPS and NZC in the future." Sandle also confirmed that Brendon Donkers will assist Rob Walter on the Bangladesh tour and that Jonny Bassett-Graham and Graeme Aldridge will do so in the upcoming series against South Africa. "The opportunity it affords other coaches in the NZC network is one of the added bonuses of Luke and Jake heading to the PSL," Sandle stated. "Having Jonny, Graeme, and Brendon join the BLACKCAPS will be fantastic, and I'm confident that they will benefit greatly from their time there and the experience of working alongside our players and support staff. "We hope the coaches themselves will be able to take back some of what they've learned to benefit the domestic setups." "Their involvement will naturally help strengthen our high-performance coaching depth." New Zealand's five-match T20I home series against South Africa begins on March 15.