• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Gary Stead Steps Down As New Zealand Cricket Coach After 7 Glorious Years

Gary Stead Steps Down As New Zealand Cricket Coach After 7 Glorious Years

Rajgeeta Yadav

Gary Stead steps down as New Zealand coach [Source: ICC/X.com]Gary Stead steps down as New Zealand coach [Source: ICC/X.com]

Gary Stead will step down as the head coach of the New Zealand cricket team at the end of June, ending a successful seven-year run. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) made the announcement on Wednesday.

Gary Stead Bids Farewell To Black Caps

The 53-year-old had already said he would no longer coach the team in ODIs and T20s, but he was still interested in continuing as the Test coach. However, NZC decided they want one coach for all formats, which meant Stead would not be staying on.

Reflecting on his time with the Black Caps, Stead said he’s grateful for all the memories and proud of what the team has achieved. 

 "There's 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.

Some of the key highlights during his tenure include winning the first-ever World Test Championship in 2021 and a historic 3-0 Test series win against India on Indian soil last year. Under Stead, New Zealand also reached the finals of several major ICC tournaments, including the 2019 ODI World Cup, 2021 T20 World Cup, and 2025 Champions Trophy.

Apart from these achievements, the team also topped the Test and ODI rankings and reached the semi-finals of two other white-ball World Cups. 

"For a country with five million people and limited resources, we comparatively perform outstandingly well against the other powerhouses of the game."


"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 Black Caps are a team that won't fold and will always show the grit and determination to compete,” he added.

Gary Stead, a former top-order batter who played five Test matches for New Zealand, took over as head coach in August 2018, succeeding Mike Hesson. His time in charge saw consistent performances across all formats and helped cement New Zealand’s reputation as a top-tier cricketing nation.