Ronchi to coach Renegades, White moves to Stars in BBL

Luke Ronchi, the former New Zealand and Australia international, was appointed as the new coach of the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL), replacing his former teammate Cameron White, who transitioned to the Melbourne Stars as their head coach. This change followed a tumultuous off-season for the two Melbourne franchises.

Ronchi, who had served as New Zealand’s batting coach for six years, will assume his new role after a successful stint with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he narrowly missed guiding his team to the final. He will continue in his role with New Zealand until the conclusion of the India tour in early December before officially starting with the Renegades. In the meantime, he will collaborate with the high-performance manager Clint McKay on appointing assistant coaches, as McKay also takes on the bowling coach duties, having previously held a similar role at the Stars.

The Renegades have already expressed interest in the possible availability of former England Test captain Ben Stokes for the next BBL season, given his previous experience with the club. Meanwhile, the Stars have seen significant changes, with Cricket Victoria (CV) moving former Renegades general manager James Rosengarten and former head of cricket Wade Seccombe into key positions.

These transitions came after Cricket Australia’s initial attempts to bring private investment into the BBL faced opposition, resulting in a stalled plan for the Renegades to be sold to a private investor while the Stars would play under a new name. As a result, the Renegades found themselves with minimal administrative support.

In light of the coaching transition, Clint McKay mentioned that Ronchi’s vision for the team was a decisive factor in the hiring process. "He empowers players to back their skills and take ownership of their performances, which we see as a great trait for this group at the Renegades this season," McKay said.

New Zealand captain Tom Latham praised Ronchi’s coaching style, noting his deep understanding of team dynamics and culture. Latham highlighted the significant progress the players have made under Ronchi’s guidance and acknowledged the void his departure would leave, wishing him success in his new position.

Ronchi’s playing career included a role in the inaugural season of the BBL for the Perth Scorchers, alongside international appearances for New Zealand and Australia, featuring in ODIs and T20 matches across various leagues worldwide.