When he packs his gear bag at the end of this final Test against Pakistan, New Zealand coach David Trist will reflect on two years with the national team that he is not satisfied with but he won't be disappointed either.

Trist's two-year contact with New Zealand Cricket ends after the Sri Lankan one-day series in July.

Reflecting on his time in the role today he said the New Zealand game is heading in the right direction. He never had the luxury of feeling fully in control of the side's fortunes due to the constant concerns over injuries, especially this year.

But out of that misfortune is a degree of comfort from the players who have emerged, as they would probably have done later anyway, to fill the positions and to be in a position where, weather permitting, they could push Pakistan very hard over the next few days to draw the series.

"The players in the engine room of the side are now becoming progressively aware that there are players now who are ready, keen and bursting to get into the side.

"Lou Vincent is a classic example of that.

"But when you are in a comfort zone you are less inclined to look in a hard-nosed fashion at your own game," Trist said.

That aspect was now changing in the side.

Trist said the work ethic in the side is better but it still needed improvement.

In relation to the almost constant criticism that technique was lacking in the side, Trist said the players were aware of what they needed to do.

"This is a constant area of interest and players have to think about what they are trying to achieve. Some are good at it but some still have to work harder," he said.

Trist said he had no problem with other people working with the batsmen especially. Most had mentors of their own. Martin Crowe works with several of them while Bruce Edgar works with Matthew Bell, he said.

No coach could disregard the input of others better qualified in technical matters, he said.

The development of Stephen Fleming as a captain had been most pleasing for Trist and he said the relationship they enjoyed was a warm one. There was a period of transition coming up with the appointment of a new coach but he felt Fleming should have a greater say in things.

What he brought to the side as its leader was under-estimated by the public.

"At 27 he knows who he is. He's seen enough cricket, he's experienced New Zealand cricket and he's been some demanding circumstances in the last 12 months.

"He is out of that comfort zone which demands greater things of people. He's discovered what more he has to offer in the leadership role," he said.

Calls for his head after New Zealand's dramatic collapse in the first Test against Pakistan in Auckland were not warranted.

"Teams collapse. Look at Australia in India, look at Pakistan yesterday. It does happen," he said.

It was like a rolling stone gathering moss, there was no-one who stood up to stop it. Yet New Zealand had turned that around within an innings in the next Test.

It had always been his aim to have a core of 15-18 players who could fit into a New Zealand side at the end of his time, and with everyone fit he believed that was now possible.

Most important among those players were the stocks of fast-medium bowlers so that a rotation system could be introduced.

That would need some education for the public to understand why certain players were not appearing. The notion of players not being dropped would have to be explained both to the players themselves and to the public.

"We know now that Dion Nash would have appreciated having more time between some of his matches," he said.

And New Zealand needed to maintain its desire to play its cricket on harder and faster pitches.

"We haven't got the players who can play fairly well on slow surfaces now. It is up to the provinces to get it right. And to have practice facilities the same as out in the middle," he said.

That would help everyone develop their game and ensure that New Zealand's players could compete when going overseas.

© CricInfo