Gary Stead to remain as New Zealand head coach until 2025; NZC opts against split-coaching
The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has decided against split-coaching for now and has retained the service of head coach Gary Stead for two more years. The 51-year-old was appointed as head coach of the team in 2018 and has guided the team to an ODI World Cup final as well as a World Test Championship (WTC) triumph.
The contract extension means that Stead will also guide the team in the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the 2023-25 WTC cycle as well. The renowned coach received unanimous backing from the board following the impressive set of results in his tenure.
New Zealand Cricket’s GM High Performance Bryan Stronach 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.
“Gary’s results have been very impressive and we’re 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.”
Adding that although the prospect of split coaching was heavily considered, the decision for a single coach to manage all formats as before was the end result.
“A split-coaching role was discussed in depth but, with most of our leading BLACKCAPS playing across all three formats, and the culture of the group so strong and positive, we saw clear benefits in supporting the status quo," Stronach added.
The trend of split coaching began with England, who hired Brendon McCullum and Matthew Mott to guide their red-ball and white-ball units, respectively. Since then, the likes of South Africa and West Indies have also followed the same route, with many other countries expected to follow suit.
NZC expects the players to gain new ideas and a fresh perspective through the 'fourth' coach method. The team often employs an outside candidate to help the squad with a single specific tour on a consulting basis.
“It’s been great the way that he’s come in and built on what was previously achieved.” - Tim Southee on Gary Stead's extension as head coach
With Kane Williamson having relinquished the Test captaincy, Gary Stead will have to oversee a crucial phase as the team continues to settle under Tim Southee's reign.
Additionally, the head coach also has to deal with players opting to sacrifice their central player contract for franchise cricket, like Trent Boult.
Southee expressed his delight at the prospect of extending his relationship with Stead.
“Gary’s had great success leading us into finals in all three formats and, of course, that World Test Championship win. It’s been great the way that he’s come in and built on what was previously achieved,” the veteran pacer said.
“The sheer amount of time players and support staff spend away from family and loved ones makes for a challenging environment. With so much cricket being played these days, being able to effectively manage people and their workloads is a huge part of the job,” Southee added.
New Zealand will end their ongoing break with a tour of Bangladesh and England prior to the ODI World Cup during the October-November window.
Will Gary Stead be the first head coach to deliver an ODI World Cup title to New Zealand? Let us know what you think.