Departing Blackcaps bowling coach Shane Jurgensen admits he's experienced a whirlwind of emotions since deciding to vacate the role after the ODI World Cup.
The 47-year-old has signed on to become the new head coach of Wellington Firebirds in a bid to be closer to home after eight years of touring with the New Zealand side.
An emotional Jurgensen revealed he's been inundated with messages from the Blackcaps players since announcing the move as he prepares for his final swansong.
"I think I cried every day for three days, I'm being really honest there," he said. "Three times a day, I was up, and I was down. It would've been nice to have my wife here to give me a cuddle
"When you start to get messages, and phone calls from guys that you've known a long time, and in a way, [realise] it's coming to an end, it's certainly been tough days here in Dawson thinking about it.
"Obviously Tim [Southee]. Kane [Williamson] rang me last night and that was a tough phone call. There have been some good ones…Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman. But at the same time, we've still got a lot of work to do.
"We've got a World Cup to push forward and prepare for, and I'm looking forward to that, and it's going to be a great next few months for us as a team. Hopefully, we can give the World Cup a real push again and have some good performances.
"After that, I'm going to be here in the New Zealand cricket system, and I can't thank NZ Cricket enough, and Wellington have been very accommodating around me joining them, and I can't wait to join them, stay in the system and help develop players."
Having first taken charge of New Zealand's bowlers from 2008 to 2010, and again from 2016 until the end of this year, Jurgensen has seen his fair share of players come through the ranks.
He admits watching the Blackcaps' best develop through the years has been a particular highlight, and credits NZ Cricket for facilitating such a positive environment.
"Meeting these boys as boys. I thought Trent [Boult] was a batter when I first met him, and that quickly changed, he let me know about that," Jurgensen said.
"I met him as a 17-year-old in Brisbane in the middle of 2008, and that started my journey with New Zealand Cricket.
"I met John Wright a few months prior to that, and gave [he] gave me my first opportunity, and I can't thank New Zealand Cricket enough to be a part of these guys' lives.
"To see them as teenagers and grow into men, husbands, and fathers, with multiple children, and their growth as people is very humbling to be a part of that.
"The whole bowling group itself has been awesome, and the atmosphere we've had…we're a pretty close group and have been for a long time."
