Former Black Caps coach Steve Rixon has three words for Australia's four-man selection panel - I want in.
Stung by internal problems at English club Surrey this year, where under his coaching the team has been relegated, Rixon has returned to Sydney and is keeping busy with his family clothing business.
The tough-talking 51-year-old, who coached New Zealand with success in the late 1990s, was pipped by John Buchanan for the Australian coaching role in 1999.
Despite an Ashes series defeat this year, Buchanan was reappointed last month, closing the door on Rixon again.
"The timing was at least right for that (the Australian coaching role last month)," Rixon told AAP at the SCG this week.
"It's probably the only (coaching) job I would have thought about.
"Further down the track, I wouldn't mind looking at the Australian selecting job. While I'm still fresh and enthusiastic and well versed with all the players, I could see myself putting my name up for that at some stage.
"I think I could do that quite well," he said.
Australia's selection panel is headed by ex-test leggie Trevor Hohns and includes former players David Boon, Merv Hughes and Andrew Hilditch.
"I'm finished with the overseas duties as far as county cricket goes. At the moment I'm just sitting back, cooling out, having an occasional session with the boys," Rixon said.
"I do a bit of work with Sutherland in Sydney grade cricket, where my son (Dan) plays. I have my own leisure wear company.
"It's all pretty casual in comparison with the hustle and bustle of the Surrey life that I've just left."
Buchanan admitted he had "lost" the players during the five-test Ashes tour, with Australia going down 2-1.
"It's all very well Buck (Buchanan) coming out and saying that was the case after it was all over and he got the job back again," Rixon said.
"I didn't see him yell out "I messed up" prior to that. He did at least come out and say that in the end so I'll give him credit for that.
"The biggest problem in the Ashes was they under-estimated the opposition.
"They didn't prepare accordingly, and they didn't maintain discipline, especially with no-balls ... and their catching was poor. I don't think there's any excuse for that."
Rixon, who played 13 tests, led the Blues to four Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup titles in two stints as state coach.
He says being a specialist coach rather than head coach may be appealing.
"I've been given the opportunity to coach a number of the national sides - Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, but it has come at wrong times," he said.
"Having gone through what I've been through at Surrey, I would really need some hardline rules to make sure I have the right people around me."
Rixon is a mentor to Ashes squad member Brad Haddin and helps out with wicketkeeping drills at some NSW sessions.
"We've built up a very good rapport, as I have with other keepers around the world," Rixon said.
"Brendon McCullum would come across from New Zealand to do some work.
"I quite enjoy working with the keepers.
"If they're down, no-one is actually understanding why they're down or how they can get them up or whatever.
"If there is a bit of technical work to pursue, I think I do it as well as anyone."
Haddin, 28, has 10 one-day international caps and is yet to play a test, as he waits patiently behind Adam Gilchrist.
Gilchrist, 34, boasts 15 test centuries, and trails only Ian Healy and Rod Marsh for most dismissals by an Australian test wicketkeeper.
But Gilchrist couldn't get a game ahead of Phil Emery with NSW when Rixon was in charge.
"I sent him away," said Rixon with a grimace, recalling the day Gilchrist packed his bags for Western Australia.
"In hindsight you look back and think we've let a great cricketer go.
"If he had stayed here and was in and out with his batting, maybe he wouldn't have been as skilled as he is now.
"In Brad's (Haddin's) case, his time will come. It's a war of attrition with Gilly, because he's not going to give anything away cheaply."
Rixon says Haddin and NSW opening batsman Phil Jaques had great seasons in 2004-05 but need to keep producing.
"That's why Australian domestic cricket is so much stronger than, say, the English county scene, because our guys are hungrier," Rixon said.
"They need to keep pushing out scores - six, eight hundreds in a row.
"You've got blokes like (South Australia's ex-test batsman) Darren Lehmann who drops off the pace for five minutes, gets 301 and says `hey, I haven't finished yet'."
