New Zealand Head Coach Gary Stead Calls It Quits After 7 Years of Highly Successful Stint

Coach Gary Stead has had a highly consistent stint with New Zealand, winning the World Test Championship in 2021 and a Test series in India last year. Photo: ICC/X

Stead last month confirmed that he would step down as coach of the white-ball formats. He was effectively ruled out of contention for the head coach role after NZC opted for a single head coach across all three formats.

Widely considered New Zealand’s most successful national coach, Stead oversaw the inaugural ICC World Test Championship win in 2021, and an unprecedented 3-0 Test series sweep of India on the subcontinent last year, alongside five out of six finals appearances in ICC white-ball World Cups.

Consistency was a hallmark of the Stead era, with the side rising to number one in the ICC Test and ODI rankings during his stint, as well as winning numerous bilateral series and breaking new ground with series wins at home and abroad.

Stead can also be credited with rejuvenating the team during his time in charge with the selections of stars such as Daryl Mitchell, Kyle Jamieson, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and Will O’Rourke.

The 53-year-old said it had been a privilege to lead the team. “There have been some amazing memories over the past seven years, based around a group of fantastic and talented people who have gone out to give their best for their country, each other, and for the fans,” he said.

“Brendon McCullum and Mike Hesson had left the team with strong values and a style of play, and I’ve just tried to build and shape that further to grow our ability to be consistent in everything we do.

“It’s been nice to be competitive across all three formats, and I’d like to think that regardless of results, the opposition know the BLACKCAPS are a team that won’t fold and will always show the grit and determination to compete.”

Stead cited the ICC World Test Championship victory and the 3-0 Test series victory against India as some of the biggest points of his career, alongside the way the team held themselves during and after the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson paid tribute to Stead for his immense contribution to the team.

“Steady gave absolutely everything to the team,” Williamson said. “There was no one more hardworking and passionate about seeing the BLACKCAPS grow and succeed. He was always thorough in his planning and preparation and will go down as one of our best coaches, but an even better bloke,” he added.

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