[ad_1]
Gary Stead sat down to chat with Black Caps captain Kane Williamson, threw some balls into the nets, and they said goodbye for the next three months.
He put the stamp on the couple’s continued union at the helm of the Black Caps, after New Zealand Cricket’s board of directors ratified Stead’s three-year contract extension as coach last Thursday, until November 2023.
At five years and three months, he will make Stead second-longest-serving behind Mike Hesson, whom he succeeded in August 2018 after six years in charge.
The rise, fall and rise of English superstar Ben Stokes.
NZC CEO David White confirmed that no one else was in the frame, but Stead was interviewed by a panel last week to complete a “robust and formal” process.
READ MORE:
* Coach Gary Stead online for Black Caps contract extension
* NZ Cricket inks in 37 days of Black Caps at home, tri-series with White Ferns, Australia, England
* Kane Williamson anxious before IPL when positive tests hit his rivals
* Williamson remains captain of all Black Caps formats, relationship with coach still ‘work in progress’
Part of that would have examined Stead’s relationship with Williamson, which has drawn scrutiny in recent months. Causing the boss some frustration and sources described it as “a work in progress,” the couple shared philosophical differences around the selection and its effect on the team’s culture.
Stead, also the head coach, called it a “positive conflict”, and clearly it was not an obstacle for the 48-year-old to take the Black Caps to the Twenty20 World Cups in 2021 (India) and 2022 (Australia), then the Cricket World Cup 2023. Cup in India.
Paul Kane / Getty Images
Coach Gary Stead and Captain Kane Williamson haven’t always seen eye to eye, but they will continue to lead the Black Caps.
Williamson and Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Jimmy Neesham will board a plane for the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. They won’t come out of their bubble until late November after completing a two-week Covid-19 quarantine upon their return, when the home series against the West Indies is tentatively scheduled to begin.
“Kane and I talked regularly and sat face to face the last few days and had some conversations, and we threw some balls at him Monday night for a change,” Stead said.
“It’s great to be together with Kane and to keep talking about how we lead this team together. We have always had a very strong relationship and we will continue to do so. “
Stead believed tough discussions were vital, and Williamson agreed, in an interview with RNZ when he insisted the attention around the captain-coach relationship was positive.
“For us it’s always having those conversations and even though we sometimes have differences of opinion, I don’t think that’s unhealthy,” he said.
“You always work towards a similar goal and we both want the best for the team, so there isn’t much [to the scrutiny] Really.”
White said Stead had done “an excellent job” and did not hesitate to extend his contract, after the interview and feedback from players and staff.
With a solid core of world-class senior players, Stead’s initial two years with the Black Caps were highlighted by his dream career leading up to the 2019 World Cup final and an agonizing loss to England at Lord’s.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Henry Nicholls and Black Caps coach Gary Stead during training camp in July.
They beat Pakistan 2-1 in a series of away tests in late 2018, and completed the last summer at home with a 2-0 test victory over a powerful team from India in February, which kept them in the league. contest for the final of the World Trials Championship next year. .
In the world rankings, the Black Caps rank second in the tests, third in the one-day internationals and sixth in the T20s. The latter is clearly their weakest format, with just seven wins out of 20 under Stead, the coach identified the Super Overs as a major area for needed improvement.
Public scrutiny was intense at times, especially when Stead took a planned break for the ODI series against India after losing the T20s 5-0.
“I think the public is more interested in the players and where they are, to be honest. What I learned about it, we probably should have communicated better with everyone.
“I don’t think we would have had the conversation if we had won that series 3-2 or 4-1, I think people would have just moved on. It shows how passionate people are about the game and I think that’s a great thing. “
Take a look
Black Caps record with Gary Stead as coach (appointed August 2018):
Tests: Played 16, won 9, lost 5, drew 2. ICC world ranking: 2
ODI: Played 28, won 17, lost 9, drew 1, no result 1. ICC world ranking: 3
T20: Played 20, won 7, lost 10, drew 3. ICC world ranking: 6
