Former pacer and coach David Trist, who guided New Zealand to their first-ever global title by winning the 2000 ICC KnockOut World Cup, has passed away at the age of 77.
Trist served as New Zealand’s head coach for just two years, but during that brief period, he led the Kiwis to a historic achievement. In the 2000 ICC KnockOut World Cup — now known as the ICC Champions Trophy — New Zealand defeated Pakistan in the semi-finals before narrowly losing to India in the final, thanks to Chris Cairns’ century.
That tournament marked New Zealand’s first major international trophy, and for the next two decades, it remained their only global success until they won the ICC World Test Championship in 2021.
As a player, Trist was a pacer but never made it to the national team. He played 24 first-class and 6 List A matches for Canterbury in domestic cricket.
After retiring as a player, he gained recognition primarily as a coach. Before taking charge of the national side, he held coaching roles with Canterbury, South Africa, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands. In 1999, he replaced Steve Rixon as New Zealand’s head coach.
After his tenure with the national team ended in 2001, Trist returned to Christchurch, where he began a new chapter as the coaching director of the Old Collegians Cricket Club. His life’s journey came to a close there in Christchurch.
