"The modern game is becoming very, very tough for players and coaches to try and sustain" - Gary Stead vouches for split coaching
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead believes that the time for split coaching is near, considering the workload of the team. The 51-year-old is currently in the final year of his contract, with the ODI World Cup in India being his final assignment.
Should Stead not continue as head coach of the Kiwis post the World Cup, the recent 2-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka was his final red-ball assignment.
However, he stated that it is too early to decide whether he will continue another term as the head coach or whether New Zealand would want him to continue.
The World Test Championship-winning coach told reporters:
“The next cycle of the World Test Championship games is after my contract’s out, and I guess we'll just have to wait and see how that evolves with time and where New Zealand Cricket and I get to, with discussions around my future ... it's too early to know."
England brought upon the split coaching regime with the appointment of Brendon McCullum and Matthew Mott to handle the red-ball and white-ball units, respectively.
The move has certainly paid dividends with the side dominating the Test circuit and winning the T20 World Cup 2022 in no time.
Coach Gary Stead on Tim Southee's first season as Test captain. #PAKvNZ #NZvENG #NZvSL https://t.co/gMtoKvGfrv
Since then, Cricket South Africa has also reverted to a similar model and nations like West Indies and New Zealand are also reportedly pondering over the same.
Noting that modern day cricket is becoming difficult for players and coaches to sustain with the existing system. Calling for a change in the coaching structure, Stead said:
“I think it's time that we do need to split off and look at it. I think the modern game is becoming very, very tough for players and coaches to try and sustain everything across that whole period of time and, New Zealand Cricket and I are definitely talking about that as an option.”
"It really just will come down to discussions with New Zealand Cricket and I" - Gary Stead open to continue as head coach in a split capacity
New Zealand have a challenging subcontinent tour of Pakistan up next, which will be followed by a set of white-ball matches against the United Arab Emirates and England.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead says it is time for the Black Caps to have separate coaches guiding the test and white ball teams to help ease the demands on staff. reut.rs/40nwN4M
Noting that his future as New Zealand coach, irrespective of whether split coaching is introduced, goes down to impending talks with the cricket board. Stead said:
"I think these are a great bunch of guys to work with. It's a fantastic team to be part of. So it really just will come down to discussions with New Zealand Cricket and I, and when we get to around what that looks like.”
Will New Zealand introduce split coaching in the near future? Let us know what you think.