We’re talking Black Caps cult hero Mark ‘Paddy’ Greatbatch, who retired here about five years ago to live with his local-based partner, Deanie Johnstone.
Mark, who turns 62 next week, says he was approached about the role four or five months ago.
"I was honoured and I was taken aback a little bit, too, because I’d been out of the game a bit.
"I found out it’s an ambassador role, it’s really about promoting the game in New Zealand across the board."
He also sits on the board in a non-voting role and had his first meeting last week.
He’s been in Christchurch this week, watching the West Indies Test — "I’m trying to spread myself around in the sense of looking at the different levels of the game".
A burly left-handed batter, Mark had an interesting what he calls "Jekyll and Hyde" career as he’s most remembered for both an incredibly slow batting marathon in Perth and his pinch-hitting heroics at the ’92 Cricket World Cup (CWC).
In ’89, he saved a Test against the Aussies by batting for almost 11 hours for 146 not out after NZ had to follow on 290 runs in arrears.
Mark had "the great honour" of catching up the other week with Allan Border, the Aussie captain in that match, "and he said, ‘Oh, Jesus, you were boring, but we couldn’t get you out’.
"He said ‘it was one of the best defensive innings I’ve seen in Test cricket’, which was a nice thing for him to say, but he was grumpy."
Mark reveals Steve Waugh sledged him all 485 balls he received, and in between overs, with variations of ‘fat c***’.
"I made sure I shook hands with him at end, I went ‘thanks c***’, and he objected to it."
For the CWC, he only joined the team for its third game.
"‘Wrighty’ [John Wright] got injured and I was so out of form, and [coach] Warren Lees and [captain] Martin Crowe just said, ‘we want you to open the batting and just go out and play freely’."
As a result, he sensationally scored 313 runs, including 13 sixes, and helped their run to the semis.
"The country got behind us and there was a real buzz — cricket can do that, you know."
After pulling stumps he coached Central Districts, in NZ, and then in England.
Back in NZ he became a Black Caps selector, batting coach "and then by default I got the coaching job, which probably wasn’t the best thing".
Wanting to finish his career coaching kids, he then became director of cricket at Auckland’s St Kentigern College for about five years.
"When I retired, it was retire in Auckland or Queenstown, so it didn’t take too long."
Meantime, he’d met Johnstone when he was in Queenstown staying with ex-golf pro Greg Turner and his wife Janey.
On the way to their home the latter told him to stop by at Johnstone’s place where she was having a drink.
"I met Deanie and she poured me a gin and it was rather a good one, and the rest is history."
Mark notes his mum was born in Geraldine and his dad in Hokitika, "so I’ve got a bit of South Island roots — and everyone calls me an Aucklander".
"I’m waiting for the South Island passport," he quips.
He calls his new home "a paradise".
"It’s beautiful, it makes you get outside."
Mark obliges by playing golf, mostly at Millbrook and The Hills — "it’s variable", he says of his game, "but I love it for the fact you’re playing with friends and meeting people".
He also loves fishing.
Concerning a recent petition calling for more international games at the Events Centre, he says "I’d love to see more cricket here".
Referring to concerns over ground infrastructure, he notes "there are some pretty strict protocols regarding venues these days".
He’d also support an indoor cricket facility, maybe with two or three other sports to help pay for it.
Mark’s already dabbled his feet in local cricket, helping "a little bit" Wakatipu High First XI coaches Walt Clarke and Ben Gallie prepare the team for this month’s national finals after they took out the regional comp for the first time.
"That’s really cool they’ve made that for a small area like Central and, you know, one high school."
He’s seen the team’s batting star Hugo Bogue in the nets and even followed online a hundred he made at the NZ under-19s two years ago — "he looks a good player".
Mark’s daughter Alice now also lives in Queenstown, working as a nanny, while son Charlie’s been bowling well for a club side in Yorkshire, England — "I watched him get his 100th wicket in September".
For now, he’s looking forward to fulfilling his honorary NZ Cricket role over the next three years.
"I’m really interested in how the modern game is being run, it’s a big operation, big business now.
"There’s some really exciting and challenging things going forward, but the majority of it’s very exciting and could be really good."
