New Zealand Cricket appointed former Test batsman Gary Stead as the new Black Caps coach on Wednesday. He will replace Mike Hesson.
Stead, 46, played just five Tests in 1999 before being dropped. But he has excelled as a coach, guiding Canterbury to domestic titles in 2014, 2015 and 2017. He also took the national women’s team, the White Ferns, to the 209 World Cup final. Stead was given a two-year contract and said he wanted to continue the improvement the Black Caps had shown under Hesson.
“This is a well-established and high-performing Black Caps side with an excellent captain in Kane Williamson and a real desire to win series and titles,” he said.
“It’s an honour and a privilege to be part of that. I can’t wait to get started.”
Hesson announced his departure in June, even though he had a year left on his contract, saying he had run out of steam and wanted to spend more time with his family.
