June 4, 2025 • 10 mins
"All I know is, hand on heart, is that I've done everything I can to try and make this team as good as it can be."
Gary Stead has officially retired as Black Caps coach.
He was keen to stay on to coach the test side, but NZ Cricket have decided they want a head coach for all three forms of the game.
Gary spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk Zed.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be let's talk now to Gary Stead. Seven years in
the hot seat, huge amount of success, some abject failures,
but you're never going to get to the top and
stay there right the way through an international coaching career
in cricket, he joins us.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Now he's leaving, Gary, How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
What's the point?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's been a long time in the saddle and finally
the hound has been released. What was the initial sense
around that decision finally being made?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Look, I mean it's sad in a way. It's been
a big part of my life for the last yeah,
seven or so years, but look, I mean it's time
for someone else to work with the team. And yeah,
I'm content and happy that it's the right time for
me to move on.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
The general consensus is that because you didn't want to
take on all three formats, New Zealand Cricket weren't keen
to carry on with you in just the text role.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Is that about right? Yep, Yeah, that's about right.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
But look, I mean that's their prerogative and I always
understood there was that chance of that that happened thing,
so there was no guarantees at all of me me
carrying on in anything.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Did you even like, maybe consider changing your mind and going,
you know what, I can do everything?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Oh? I mean, yeah, consider it.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
But I think after seven years, and I think the
last seven seven or eight months were a particularly long
time on the road as well. To be honest, I
was pretty bugged Darcy and I needed, I didn't need
some time just to recharge. And yeah, I still want
to be involved in cricket in the future. I think
I've got a lot to give still, But yeah, I
(01:50):
just I couldn't. I couldn't see myself continuing with everything
for much longer.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Where would the involvement be at a national level? One
of the Pirate T twenty leagues got any idea about
where you might want to go?
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Not one hundred percent sure just yet, But yeah, look,
I mean, I still think there's coaching left in me,
and I enjoy seeing people improve and teams improve, and
ultimately that's what you're about, is coach and support staff,
is to try and get the best out of your
players and see that improvement. And I'm passionate about doing that,
whether it be in cricket and another sport or even
(02:26):
in business.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Potentially, what have.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
You learned seven years in the role. You must have
developed over that time, and I know you've challenged yourself
from time to time too, You've taken time off, you've
questioned your own ability and input. So when you look
back at the seven years we's been, I suppose the
biggest growth in you Gary.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Oh.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
It's hard to say over a long period of time,
but I think when you get to this level, a
lot of the things you're trying to do is well
it's ultimately is to get the best out of the players,
So you're always trying to challenge yourself around how you
go and do that, and some players respond to I
guess Plan A is the way you go about it.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Others respond to Plan B.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
So I think having that adaptability and flexibility to everyone
in their needs is the most important thing you can do.
If you're just a one trick pony, then I'm not
sure that's going to cut it with everyone, and then
you certainly not getting the best out of your team
then as well. So I think you can always work
on those things, and that's just about building relationships and
(03:25):
learning about each individual.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
You've had a great tenure. You've done some fantastic things,
not you, but as the coach, because I know you'll
deflect it all to the players, which is fair enough.
But when you look back at the last seven years highlight,
I know what mine is, but I'm much more interested
in what yours is as far as your coaching career.
What really shone.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I think, Darcy, the three Narl win in India is
something that stands out to me as probably being the
hardest thing to achieve in that tenure. And it's interesting
because I think a lot of the success of that
actually came from the two all loss earlier immediately prior
to that VI Sri Lanka, where bar a couple of
bad sessions, we actually played really good cricket and we
(04:07):
talked about being on the right track in terms of
what we were trying to achieve and having the confidence
in our abilities to then go and execute the plans
in India, and I think we did that really really well. Obviously,
the World Test Championship it was a huge cup and
I think fantastic for the team. But I do think
(04:29):
the three Nor win in India was probably the greatest
achievement that I had in my time.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Well, when you.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Look gary at the development of players, and there's been
a I won't say it's written in stone, but generally
it's pretty hard to get into the black Cats, very
hard to get out. So you've had a consistency in
selection and you haven't pressured players like this is your
last test if you don't score runs out here, and
I think that has created an environment that has enabled success.
(04:59):
But also you've got to bring players through. How do
you feel you've done that and what have you left
as far as the next coaches, as far as the
new players that you've managed to unearthed or they've unearthed
themselves and you've selected them.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Look, I mean, there's a lot to pick out in
that question, but I think ultimately the idea of giving
guys a slightly longer piece of rope from a selection
point of view, is around showing trust in them. You
don't select players with a view that you're ultimately dropping them.
You select them because you think they're the best and
they have things to offer. And look, form can come
(05:36):
and go at times, but class doesn't. And so when
we're selecting, not only we're looking at the skill sets
of the players, we're also looking at their character and.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
What they can bring to a team.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And I don't find it easy when you're asking players
to be dropped. I think I take that personally, as
I know the players do as well. But it's something
that's thought through clearly, and I think the replacement players
have to show that they clearly.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Are better than the ones that are there.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
And that's always subjective the way you go about that,
but yeah, ultimately you are charged with with selecting who
you think the right team is and we try and
do that by being as humane as possible around it.
In terms of like where we're at right now, I
think that the team is in a good place. We've
showed success in all three forms recently and look, I
(06:31):
think the team is well placed. If you think back
to the World Test Championship.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I went through this last night.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
There's six of that team that are no longer playing,
and that shows quite a bit of turnaround in a
team that was very.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Very successful only four years ago.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
But the guys that have come in the likes of
A Willow, Rourke, A rach And Ravendra and those types
of players could also be some of the greats that
we have in our future, So I think it's exciting
times for the team.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I like the way it said humane. It's like you're
putting someone down, not just dropping them from the side.
So you've got this relationship, How important is it. I'm
presuming that year you're the coach, and yes you're the boss,
but you would like to think, and you probably are
friends of these players. Does that make it easier or
make it more difficult that you have that personal relationship.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I think having a relationship makes it possibly easier for
the players than what it is for me at times.
But look, I mean, retirement's a tough time for any
players to go through. I went through it myself. It's
unnerving and a bit unsettling. But sometimes those decisions still
(07:39):
have to be made, and that's the toughest part of
the role.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
What's the most difficult position you've been in, be it
a game, an individual on maybe dealing with the bloody media.
I don't know what's really strained or stressed you. I'm
not saying really, but to the biggest level, do you
think Gary?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Look, I mean I try, and I'm pretty good at
compartmentalizing things in at different stages of your career, there's
always things that push your buttons a bit, but there's
nothing stands out in my mind to say, yeah, that
was that was anything that really stands out. You understand
that there are difficult times that come with the role,
and there are difficult things that you have to do
(08:19):
at times, but that is part and parcel of the role.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Immedia necessary evil. That's the way it goes. There's the
conduit between you guys and the public. Do you think
you've been given a fair shake by the media, the print,
the radio and TV in general? And does it even matter?
Speaker 4 (08:33):
I don't think it really matters, to be honest. I mean,
you guys are trying to do your job, and I
know that I was pretty hell bent on doing as
well as I could for the team. So look, people
all right, or say what they want about you, and
look all all I know is hand on heart that
I've done everything I can to try and try and
make this team as good as it can be.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
What other people think about you was none of your business.
That's what my brother always used to say. I thought
it was absolutely brilliant. Hey, last thing, and Gary Steden again,
thanks for the seven years and thanks for being so
available to all of us here in the bloody media,
the lands. The gape of cricket is dramatically changing. We
know there are going to be at a top level
a lot of adjustments with the acceleration of the T
(09:15):
twenty leagues. Do you think international cricket's in a good
space going forward? Do you believe that the best is
yet to come, that these issues will be dealt with
in a pragmatic manner by the powers that be?
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I'm not sure, to be honest, Darcy. I hope international
cricket will be forever seen as the pinnacle of what
you can do in cricket, because ultimately that is country
versus country and you are then seeing.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Hopefully the best versus the best.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
But these franchises are I guess, putting pressure on international
cricket and on players to go and play in their formats,
and understandably there's some more options for an opportunities.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
For players out there to concede.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
But I think it's something we've tried to do well
here as make sure the environment within the black Caps
team something that players do want to come back to
and they see the value in that, and I hope
that continues.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
And Gary Stead enjoy your temporary retirement because I know
you're going to kick back, and then after that we'll
see what else happens. Because you know you're only in
your early fifties levels, aren't you, So you've still got
plenty of off and plenty to do. But kick back,
relax and don't answer your phone.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
All right, Thanks Darcy.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk Zed.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be let's talk now to Gary Stead. Seven years in
the hot seat, huge amount of success, some abject failures,
but you're never going to get to the top and
stay there right the way through an international coaching career
in cricket, he joins us.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Now he's leaving, Gary, How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
What's the point?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's been a long time in the saddle and finally
the hound has been released. What was the initial sense
around that decision finally being made?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Look, I mean it's sad in a way. It's been
a big part of my life for the last yeah,
seven or so years, but look, I mean it's time
for someone else to work with the team. And yeah,
I'm content and happy that it's the right time for
me to move on.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
The general consensus is that because you didn't want to
take on all three formats, New Zealand Cricket weren't keen
to carry on with you in just the text role.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Is that about right? Yep, Yeah, that's about right.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
But look, I mean that's their prerogative and I always
understood there was that chance of that that happened thing,
so there was no guarantees at all of me me
carrying on in anything.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Did you even like, maybe consider changing your mind and going,
you know what, I can do everything?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Oh? I mean, yeah, consider it.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
But I think after seven years, and I think the
last seven seven or eight months were a particularly long
time on the road as well. To be honest, I
was pretty bugged Darcy and I needed, I didn't need
some time just to recharge. And yeah, I still want
to be involved in cricket in the future. I think
I've got a lot to give still, But yeah, I
(01:50):
just I couldn't. I couldn't see myself continuing with everything
for much longer.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Where would the involvement be at a national level? One
of the Pirate T twenty leagues got any idea about
where you might want to go?
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Not one hundred percent sure just yet, But yeah, look,
I mean, I still think there's coaching left in me,
and I enjoy seeing people improve and teams improve, and
ultimately that's what you're about, is coach and support staff,
is to try and get the best out of your
players and see that improvement. And I'm passionate about doing that,
whether it be in cricket and another sport or even
(02:26):
in business.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Potentially, what have.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
You learned seven years in the role. You must have
developed over that time, and I know you've challenged yourself
from time to time too, You've taken time off, you've
questioned your own ability and input. So when you look
back at the seven years we's been, I suppose the
biggest growth in you Gary.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Oh.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
It's hard to say over a long period of time,
but I think when you get to this level, a
lot of the things you're trying to do is well
it's ultimately is to get the best out of the players,
So you're always trying to challenge yourself around how you
go and do that, and some players respond to I
guess Plan A is the way you go about it.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Others respond to Plan B.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
So I think having that adaptability and flexibility to everyone
in their needs is the most important thing you can do.
If you're just a one trick pony, then I'm not
sure that's going to cut it with everyone, and then
you certainly not getting the best out of your team
then as well. So I think you can always work
on those things, and that's just about building relationships and
(03:25):
learning about each individual.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
You've had a great tenure. You've done some fantastic things,
not you, but as the coach, because I know you'll
deflect it all to the players, which is fair enough.
But when you look back at the last seven years highlight,
I know what mine is, but I'm much more interested
in what yours is as far as your coaching career.
What really shone.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I think, Darcy, the three Narl win in India is
something that stands out to me as probably being the
hardest thing to achieve in that tenure. And it's interesting
because I think a lot of the success of that
actually came from the two all loss earlier immediately prior
to that VI Sri Lanka, where bar a couple of
bad sessions, we actually played really good cricket and we
(04:07):
talked about being on the right track in terms of
what we were trying to achieve and having the confidence
in our abilities to then go and execute the plans
in India, and I think we did that really really well. Obviously,
the World Test Championship it was a huge cup and
I think fantastic for the team. But I do think
(04:29):
the three Nor win in India was probably the greatest
achievement that I had in my time.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Well, when you.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Look gary at the development of players, and there's been
a I won't say it's written in stone, but generally
it's pretty hard to get into the black Cats, very
hard to get out. So you've had a consistency in
selection and you haven't pressured players like this is your
last test if you don't score runs out here, and
I think that has created an environment that has enabled success.
(04:59):
But also you've got to bring players through. How do
you feel you've done that and what have you left
as far as the next coaches, as far as the
new players that you've managed to unearthed or they've unearthed
themselves and you've selected them.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Look, I mean, there's a lot to pick out in
that question, but I think ultimately the idea of giving
guys a slightly longer piece of rope from a selection
point of view, is around showing trust in them. You
don't select players with a view that you're ultimately dropping them.
You select them because you think they're the best and
they have things to offer. And look, form can come
(05:36):
and go at times, but class doesn't. And so when
we're selecting, not only we're looking at the skill sets
of the players, we're also looking at their character and.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
What they can bring to a team.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And I don't find it easy when you're asking players
to be dropped. I think I take that personally, as
I know the players do as well. But it's something
that's thought through clearly, and I think the replacement players
have to show that they clearly.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Are better than the ones that are there.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
And that's always subjective the way you go about that,
but yeah, ultimately you are charged with with selecting who
you think the right team is and we try and
do that by being as humane as possible around it.
In terms of like where we're at right now, I
think that the team is in a good place. We've
showed success in all three forms recently and look, I
(06:31):
think the team is well placed. If you think back
to the World Test Championship.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I went through this last night.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
There's six of that team that are no longer playing,
and that shows quite a bit of turnaround in a
team that was very.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Very successful only four years ago.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
But the guys that have come in the likes of
A Willow, Rourke, A rach And Ravendra and those types
of players could also be some of the greats that
we have in our future, So I think it's exciting
times for the team.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I like the way it said humane. It's like you're
putting someone down, not just dropping them from the side.
So you've got this relationship, How important is it. I'm
presuming that year you're the coach, and yes you're the boss,
but you would like to think, and you probably are
friends of these players. Does that make it easier or
make it more difficult that you have that personal relationship.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I think having a relationship makes it possibly easier for
the players than what it is for me at times.
But look, I mean, retirement's a tough time for any
players to go through. I went through it myself. It's
unnerving and a bit unsettling. But sometimes those decisions still
(07:39):
have to be made, and that's the toughest part of
the role.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
What's the most difficult position you've been in, be it
a game, an individual on maybe dealing with the bloody media.
I don't know what's really strained or stressed you. I'm
not saying really, but to the biggest level, do you
think Gary?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Look, I mean I try, and I'm pretty good at
compartmentalizing things in at different stages of your career, there's
always things that push your buttons a bit, but there's
nothing stands out in my mind to say, yeah, that
was that was anything that really stands out. You understand
that there are difficult times that come with the role,
and there are difficult things that you have to do
(08:19):
at times, but that is part and parcel of the role.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Immedia necessary evil. That's the way it goes. There's the
conduit between you guys and the public. Do you think
you've been given a fair shake by the media, the print,
the radio and TV in general? And does it even matter?
Speaker 4 (08:33):
I don't think it really matters, to be honest. I mean,
you guys are trying to do your job, and I
know that I was pretty hell bent on doing as
well as I could for the team. So look, people
all right, or say what they want about you, and
look all all I know is hand on heart that
I've done everything I can to try and try and
make this team as good as it can be.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
What other people think about you was none of your business.
That's what my brother always used to say. I thought
it was absolutely brilliant. Hey, last thing, and Gary Steden again,
thanks for the seven years and thanks for being so
available to all of us here in the bloody media,
the lands. The gape of cricket is dramatically changing. We
know there are going to be at a top level
a lot of adjustments with the acceleration of the T
(09:15):
twenty leagues. Do you think international cricket's in a good
space going forward? Do you believe that the best is
yet to come, that these issues will be dealt with
in a pragmatic manner by the powers that be?
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I'm not sure, to be honest, Darcy. I hope international
cricket will be forever seen as the pinnacle of what
you can do in cricket, because ultimately that is country
versus country and you are then seeing.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Hopefully the best versus the best.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
But these franchises are I guess, putting pressure on international
cricket and on players to go and play in their formats,
and understandably there's some more options for an opportunities.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
For players out there to concede.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
But I think it's something we've tried to do well
here as make sure the environment within the black Caps
team something that players do want to come back to
and they see the value in that, and I hope
that continues.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
And Gary Stead enjoy your temporary retirement because I know
you're going to kick back, and then after that we'll
see what else happens. Because you know you're only in
your early fifties levels, aren't you, So you've still got
plenty of off and plenty to do. But kick back,
relax and don't answer your phone.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
All right, Thanks Darcy.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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