WELLINGTON, Sept 2, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Black Caps coach Gary Stead’s contract
was extended to the 2023 World Cup on Wednesday giving the former Test
batsman a chance to improve on his teams’ “gut-wrenching” loss in the 2019
tournament.
New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said Stead’s reappointment
followed a successful period for the Black Caps which has seen them reach
number two in the Test rankings and three in one-dayers.
“Winning an away Test series against Pakistan and a Test in Sri Lanka was a
tremendous effort, as were the home Test series wins against Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, England and India,” he said.
“We had no hesitation, after going through quite a process, in extending
his contract.”
White also praised the conduct of the team under Stead, particularly after
they reached the 2019 World Cup final but lost to England on a technicality
after the scores were tied.
“To tie the World Cup final and miss out on winning the trophy through a
countback was a gut-wrenching experience,” he said.
“But I think we can all agree on how well the team played during that
campaign and, equally, how well they conducted themselves afterwards.”
Stead said it was “an honour and privilege” to be involved with the team.
“I was motivated to keep working with the team, I’ve still got a lot of
energy and feel I can continue to offer something,” he said.
White confirmed the New Zealanders expect to host a full season of cricket
during the Kiwi summer, with tours involving Pakistan, the West Indies,
Australia and Bangladesh.
He said discussions were underway with health officials regarding
quarantine arrangements and a fixture list should be finalised in the next
fortnight.