Gary Stead signs on for 3 more years as New Zealand coach

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has been granted a three-year contract extension which will allow him to steer the Black Caps through the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

The board of New Zealand Cricket on Wednesday approved the extension which also takes in the T20 World Cups in India next year and in Australia in 2022.

Stead was appointed on a two year-deal when he took over from Mike Hesson, who stepped down after six years in 2018.

He guided New Zealand to the 2019 World Cup final, which was tied after the regulation overs and a Super Over before England was declared champion on a boundary countback.

In a statement Wednesday, Stead said he is "appreciative of the backing I have enjoyed from the players, the support staff and NZ Cricket and I hope I can repay that confidence." 

"I think this group of players is growing as a team. There is an exciting schedule ahead of us and I know everyone is feeling very optimistic about our chances in all three formats."

The New Zealand team hasn't played a match in almost six months because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its future schedule is uncertain.

New Zealand Cricket is close to confirming a schedule which would see the Blacks Caps play 37 days of international cricket at home next summer. That would include two tests and three T20s against the West Indies, the same against Pakistan, five T20s against Australia and three T20s and three ODIs again Bangladesh.

All four nations have agreed to tour, and the West Indies are due to arrive in late November. However, those series remain contingent on the course of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Image credits: AP