Former New Zealand coach David Trist passes away at 77

David Trist, the former New Zealand cricket coach who led the team to victory in the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy, now known as the Champions Trophy, has passed away at the age of 77, as per ESPNcricinfo. Trist enjoyed a 14-year playing career as a pace bowler for Canterbury before transitioning into coaching. His coaching journey included stints with Canterbury, South Africa, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands, before he took charge of the New Zealand national side in 1999, succeeding Steve Rixon.

Although his tenure lasted just two years, Trist played a pivotal role in securing New Zealand's first major ICC title. Under his guidance, the team triumphed over India by four wickets in the final in Nairobi, with Chris Cairns anchoring the chase with an unbeaten century. That victory marked a historic moment for New Zealand cricket, later followed by their 2021 World Test Championship triumph.

"Cairns was outstanding, and played an innings that he will remember forever, because it was the winning of the game," Trist told in an interview with ESPNcricinfo in 2017.

"But the feeling was we could do it, and we had to do it. That was what pervaded the dressing room - although there were moments of concern, quite clearly, with losing wickets early and one or two other batsmen not quite doing what they had done previously," he added, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"But Cairns' innings was one of his greatest, if not his greatest, innings, in so much as it won basically the only thing New Zealand has ever won. He could take the game away from you. He was a big hitter, but he was also technically very sound. He wasn't unsettled by fast bowling, and against spin he was positive," he noted.

"I think in the latter stage of that innings, the Indians went from 'We've won this' to 'Oh shit!' And Chris went on, of course, to get a hundred. It was a huge innings, and probably one of the most important innings in terms of New Zealand that we've witnessed," he said.

"I look back on it as pleasing for the players in the first instance, and a special moment for New Zealand. Even though they were only three matches, they were very testing ones: Zimbabwe in Africa, and then us as underdogs beating two of the powerhouses of world cricket on a fair and equal environment - we caused one of the bigger upsets in one-day cricket finals," he reflected on the title, where New Zealand beat Zimbabwe and Pakistan before facing India. Following his time with the national side, Trist continued to contribute to the sport as the coaching director at Christchurch's Old Collegians Cricket Club. He also took on coaching roles in both India and England.

"NZC is deeply saddened to confirm the passing of former Blackcaps coach David Trist, who died in Christchurch yesterday, aged 77...NZC extends its heartfelt condolences to David's family and friends," New Zealand Cricket said in a statement on social media. (ANI)