According to the announcement by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Tuesday, Gary Stead will continue as New Zealand’s head coach until mid-2025, with a focus on the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and ICC World Test Championship. Stead was initially appointed for a two-year term in late 2018 and had his contract renewed until the end of the upcoming Cricket World Cup in India. Now, his contract has been extended until the conclusion of the current World Test Championship cycle in June 2025.
The decision to retain Stead as the head coach followed a thorough consultative process, during which he received unanimous support for continuing in the role. NZC’s GM High-Performance, Bryan Stronach, stated that the case for retaining Stead was compelling. While a formal split-coaching model was considered and rejected, there remains flexibility for NZC to involve additional coaching staff if desired.
Bryan said, “The support for Gary was overwhelmingly positive – from the players, the Blackcaps support staff, Major Association coaches and support staff, as well as the New Zealand Cricket Players Association and NZC High-Performance Unit staff.”
He added, “Gary’s results have been very impressive and we are confident that he still has a lot to offer the team. Of course, a big part of this decision came down to whether Gary wanted to continue, and he made it clear his appetite to take this team forward was as keen as ever”
NZC plans to introduce fresh voices and new ideas to the players through the “fourth coach” concept. This involves supporting Blackcaps touring squads with coaches who have specialist skillsets or knowledge of specific overseas environments or formats. Examples of this approach include Stephen Fleming, Shane Bond, Saqlain Mushtaq, Luke Wright, and Thilan Samaraweera.
“Gary Stead has indeed achieved significant success as the head coach of the New Zealand cricket team. Under his leadership, the team has reached finals in all three formats of the game, which is a remarkable accomplishment. Additionally, the highlight of Stead’s tenure was undoubtedly the team’s victory in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship,” said Southee.
Stead’s reappointment period will include the ICC T20 World Cup in June/July 2024, the ICC ODI Champions Trophy in February/March 2025, and, if applicable, the ICC World Test Championship Final in June 2025.
“Several months of discussions and consultation preceded this decision and, as CEO, I am very satisfied all options were well considered,” said White. “I am very pleased for Gary. He is a quality person, he has the support and trust of the players, and he is very good at his job. I am sure all Kiwi cricket fans will join me in wishing him well over the next two years.”
NZC Chief Executive David White expressed satisfaction with the detailed and robust process that led to Stead’s reappointment. Test captain Tim Southee expressed the players’ pleasure at Stead’s reappointment and emphasized that the modern-day head coach’s role involves not only the technical aspects but also managing people, particularly considering the challenging environment and the amount of time spent away from family and loved ones.
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