Auckland: Gary Stead, the head coach of New Zealand's men's cricket team, has officially announced his resignation from his position overseeing the white-ball formats, according to the ICC's official website.
In the coming weeks, Stead will also consider whether to reapply for the Test coaching role.
Stead was first appointed in 2018 after Mike Hesson's resignation and is regarded as one of New Zealand's top coaches. Under his leadership, the men's team won the inaugural World Test Championship title in 2021 and achieved a remarkable 3-0 Test series victory against India in their home conditions last year.
In white-ball cricket, the team reached the finals of the recently concluded Champions Trophy held in Pakistan and the UAE, as well as the Cricket World Cup Final in 2019 and the T20 World Cup Final in 2021.
In announcing his decision to step down from the ODI and T20I roles, Stead expressed his desire to spend more time at home.
"I'm looking forward to stepping away from the touring lifestyle for a while and reflecting on my future," Stead stated, as reported by the ICC's official website.
"My priority has been to finish the season on a strong note with a less experienced team," he added.
"The last six to seven months have been particularly hectic, with continuous cricket since September," he remarked.
"I want to assess my options but still believe I have more to offer in coaching, though not necessarily as head coach across all formats," Stead explained.
"The upcoming month will provide me with the chance to discuss my situation further with my wife, family, and others," he concluded.
"I will have a clearer understanding of my desire to reapply for the Test coaching role after this period of reflection," he stated.
Stead has had his contract extended twice, first in 2020 and again in 2023, with the most recent term set to conclude in June of this year.
Bryan Stronach, Chief High Performance Officer of New Zealand Cricket, expressed that Stead deserves the time to contemplate his decision.
"Gary's performance has been consistently impressive over an extended period, and we are fully supportive of him taking the time to gather his thoughts and consider his options," Stronach remarked, as reported on the official ICC website.
"Currently, we do not have a strong preference for either a split-coaching arrangement or a single appointment to oversee all three formats, and we are unlikely to have more clarity on that until we see the candidates who come forward," he added.
The recruitment process for these positions will begin this week.
