The 50-year-old will not be steaming in trying to take poles. Those days are behind him.
But he will have a comfortable seat and will get to watch from the sidelines in his new role.
O’Connor, who played 19 tests and 38 ODIs for his country, joins Marlborough cricket stalwart Greg Stretch as the new faces on the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) match referees panel for the 2024-25 season.
He started the journey last year when NZC were a little short of bodies. He answered a call to arms and found he loved it.
"Initially I only thought I was helping out", he said.
"It sounded like they were short of numbers. I thought if I can fill a gap here and there, and are more help than a hindrance, then I could probably find the time.
"But I love cricket and it has been wonderful getting back in amongst the high performance environment."
O’Connor was not sure how he would perform or whether he would enjoy the work, but he was able to tick both boxes and is looking forward to resuming the role this summer.
He is still brushing up on the many, many laws of cricket. It is a complex game.
But his role is really more to support the umpires.
"I’m there as a source of feedback and that is a really import part of the job.
"They really have no other way of getting any feedback on how they are performing apart from coaches and captains. I’ll interview them as well about the umpires’ performances but also about the cricket pitch, the lunches, the outfield, everything around the game."
He also logs all the appeals, keeps an eye on the over rate and notes anything of interest, including the odd bit of bad behaviour.
Dunedin’s Kannan Jagannathan and Northern Districts’ Greg Pennell have been appointed to the NZC national umpire panel for the first time.
They have impressed in their respective regions over several years.
Tim Parlane has retired from the national umpire panel.
He umpired the third-most first-class matches by a New Zealander. His 130 matches is bettered only by Billy Bowden (202) and Evan Watkin (135).
The NZC domestic season begins on October 20 with the opening round of the one-day competition, a break break from recent tradition.
Normally the Plunket Shield is first in the queue, but t it is understood it will be held at the conclusion of both white-ball formats this summer.
— Promising all-rounder Zac Cumming, 19, has accepted a contract and will join the Otago Volts.
Cumming’s older brother Jacob is also a contracted player.
They are the sons of former Otago and New Zealand opener Craig Cumming.
Zac has represented New Zealand at under-19 level and is the 16th and final contracted player for the 2024-25 season.
