Volts head coach Ashley Noffke has taken annual leave from his role to join Pakistan for their T20 series against Bangladesh.
But here is the kicker. The Otago Cricket Association is planning for the possibility he will not return.
Chief executive Mike Coggan told the Otago Daily Times there was no guarantee Noffke, who still has a year to run on his contract, will return.
‘‘I think we've got to prepare for a possibility that he doesn't come back,’’ Coggan said.
‘‘But we're also preparing, giving him leave with a view that he does come back.
‘‘We've just got to be realistic around the potential for him to be perhaps offered a longer [stint with Pakistan].
''But there are too many what-ifs.’’
Former Otago and Black Caps coach Mike Hesson was recently appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball coach.
He joined Noffke’s team at Otago late in the season when the Volts were missing one of their assistant coaches.
The pair developed a good relationship and Hesson has brought Noffke in as a bowling coach, while Hanif Malik will assume charge of the batting.
Coggan said the uncertainty was far from ideal.
They have been in recruitment mode since December when former Sparks coach Craig Cumming announced his imminent departure.
They have also been looking for a replacement Volts assistant following Ben McCord’s decision to return to Christchurch.
They had got a long way down that route but will have to revisit that process once they know whether Noffke will return.
‘‘To be fair it is not ideal. However, with professional coaches in the modern environment, we've got to be prepared for anything that is thrown up at us.
‘‘And this is one of those situations where, due to circumstance, we've got three important positions currently.
‘‘But we're well down the track in terms of the Sparks head coach.
‘‘It's a matter of some paperwork being sorted at the other end.
‘‘Sometimes those visas may take three or four weeks, so you can glean from that that it's not a New Zealand appointment.’’
Noffke replaced Dion Ebrahim as the Volts coach. The former Zimbabwean international, who held the post for three years, resigned suddenly with another year to run and never offered a reason for his departure.
Coggan hopes he will have some clarity around what Noffke’s plans are by the end of the white-ball series in early June, so they can press on with finding a new coach or, if Noffke returns, appoint his assistant.
‘‘The fly in the ointment at the moment is having the uncertainty around the head coach of the Volts, because they need to play a key role in the appointment of that assistant position.
‘‘So we've sort of put that on hold for a little while until we have far greater clarity of what's happening with the head coach.’’
