Stead appointed as New Zealand high-performance coach alongside his role as head coach of Andhra in Ranji.
Stead signs back with NZC as high-performance coach.
Just over three months after leaving his position as head coach of the national men’s team after seven years, where he ended up being the country’s most successful coach, Gary Stead has returned to New Zealand Cricket (NZC) as the high-performance coach. According to a NZC statement, his new responsibilities would include “supporting player and coach development, as well as high performance programs.”
“New Zealand cricket’s very much been at my heart for the past 30 odd years and to be able to keep contributing to the game I love is really special,” Stead said. “I’m still passionate about coaching and trying to help people learn and improve. If I can pass on some of my skills and experiences to the wider cricket network and in turn help the BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS win on the world stage – than that would be really satisfying.
“I’m also appreciative of the opportunity to work outside of NZC to broaden my skills and experiences and hopefully I can bring what I learn back into our cricket environment.”
One such chance is to continue serving as the head coach of the men’s squad for the Andhra Cricket Association in India. In addition, Stead assisted Otago Cricket with interim coaching throughout the winter preseason and participated in a New Zealand Under-19 camp this month.
“Gary’s knowledge and experiences in cricket is immense and the fact he’s still passionate and motivated to give back to the game in this country speaks volumes about his character,” NZC chief high-performance officer Daryl Gibson said. “His role, which is a commitment of three days a week on average over the year, will see him work across much of the high-performance network, allowing our national and domestic coaches, players and staff to tap into his expertise and IP.
“Gary is also able to work outside of NZC, such as his recent part-time appointment to the Indian domestic side Andhra for their upcoming four-day competition, an experience which will allow him to further grow his knowledge and experience.”