Gary Stead steps down from New Zealand's white-ball coaching roles

In Wellington, New Zealand, on April 9, 2025, Gary Stead announced his resignation as head coach of the New Zealand national cricket team's One-Day International and T20 formats. Stead has been at the helm since 2018, taking over from Mike Hesson and coaching the team across all formats. His contract is set to expire in June 2025, and he plans to take about a month to reflect on his future in coaching, particularly concerning the Test team role, which he may consider reapplying for after this period of evaluation. Stead expressed the need for a break from the intense touring schedule that has characterized recent months and an opportunity to reflect on his coaching journey. He reflected on a hectic cricket season, emphasizing the busy nature of the past six to seven months. Despite overseeing notable achievements, including victories in the inaugural World Test Championship and leading the Black Caps to finals in both the 2019 ICC World Cup and the 2021 T20 World Cup, Stead acknowledged the challenges he faced with the white-ball teams, falling short of clinching a major title. New Zealand Cricket plans to begin the search for his successor imminently, announcing that they will consider both split-coaching roles for different formats and a single coach for all formats during this process. NZC officials noted Stead's impressive results and are supportive of his decision to take the time he needs to decide on his coaching future. As New Zealand completed a successful home summer with victories over Pakistan, the cricketing community looks forward to seeing who will step into the coaching role for the white-ball formats.