Gary Stead, head coach of New Zealand’s national cricket team, has dropped a major bombshell. He will retire when his contract ends here at the end of this month. At 53 years old, Stead’s leaving brings an end to a substantial chapter in New Zealand cricket. He’d already announced that he would resign from his positions with the ODI and T20 sides. Despite all these changes, he still does not plan to give up coaching the Test team.
Further under Stead’s leadership, New Zealand enjoyed the greatest successes in their history, winning the first-ever World Test Championship in 2021. Graham nation’s victory over India in the final, a triumph which ensures Stead will go down in the sport’s history as one of its greatest figures. Over his illustrious time, he presided over 268 matches in all formats. He notched up 147 victories, lost 100 matches and was involved in six draws and nine no-results.
Stead’s impressive leadership and coaching went beyond the Test arena into white-ball formats too. As the manager of the national team, he presided over their exhilarating runs. They made it to the final of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup. On top of that, he led the team to their first-ever final appearance in the 2024 Champions Trophy.
Reflecting on Stead’s contributions, skipper of the long format Kane Williamson commended his dedication and fervor towards the sport.
“There was no one more hard working and passionate about seeing the Black Caps grow and succeed,” – Kane Williamson
As Stead looks to move on from his current post, he shared that he hopes to look wider and deeper into new possibilities both within the U.S. and abroad.
“I look to explore opportunities at home and abroad,” – Gary Stead
His exit from the head coaching role also leads to questions about what direction New Zealand cricket wants to go in the future. The New Zealand Cricket Board will need to consider potential candidates who can build on Stead’s work and continue to foster a competitive spirit within the team.
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