CHRISTCHURCH — New Zealand's bowling coach Damien Wright will step down after the World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka next month after just a year in the job, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said Tuesday. Australian Wright said prolonged absences from his family was behind the reason to leave. “I have really enjoyed working with the New Zealand team and it was a tough decision to leave the position,” Wright said in a NZC statement. “The decision is related to time away from my family and a need to be based closer to home.” Wright replaced Allan Donald last September after the South African returned home to join Gary Kirsten's coaching setup with the national side. The 37-year-old Wright played first-class cricket for 15 years, taking 406 wickets in 123 matches before retiring in 2011. Wright's resignation comes on the heels of former New Zealand captain John Wright's decision not to extend his contract as head coach after the tour of the West Indies ended earlier this month. John Wright was replaced by Mike Hesson, who is leading the side on its tour in India, with the second Test against MS Dhoni's side beginning Friday. NZC said it would advertise for a new bowling coach later this week. IPL loses sponsor The Indian Premier League has lost its title sponsor after real estate giant DLF declined to renew its five-year deal, a company spokesman said Tuesday. “We have just stepped off the IPL,” DLF group executive director Rajeev Talwar told the Press Trust of India. “Sponsoring the IPL over the last five years was a strategic decision wherein we wanted to establish our brand presence across India as the leading real estate player. “We believe that we have been able to achieve the desired objectives to a great extent.” DLF reportedly paid $50 million to be the title sponsor of the glitzy Twenty20 league for the first five years, a deal which ended with the 2012 edition in March-April. The last date for renewal of the contract was July 28, Talwar added. — Agencies
