Latest news with #NZCricket
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Rob Walter new Black Caps coach through to 2028 World Cup
The Black Caps have a new head at the helm. With Gary Stead stepping aside, Rob Walter has been appointed Black Caps coach through to the 2028 World Cup. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
New Black Caps coach Rob Walter a planner, relationship builder and test purist
Black Caps coach Rob Walter Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Some South African "steel" mixed with relationship building is how new Black Caps coach Rob Walter will approach the role. Walter has been appointed to replace Gary Stead on a contract that ends after the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted in New Zealand and Australia in late 2028. "New Zealand have been playing very good cricket for a long period of time now so I don't see my job as coming in to change things significantly I just see it as adding some strengths and some small little additions here and there," Walter said. Walter had no say in the 20 players centrally contracted for the upcoming season or who his support staff are. He has not yet spoken to the players like Kane Williamson who are negotiating casual playing contracts. Walter has not worked with any of the assistant coaches before, whose contracts carry over from former coach Stead's time in charge, but is looking forward to connecting with them. "The reality of it is that those coaches are highly regarded by the players. All the conversations that I've had have been really positive around the support staff and the role that they play, so for me it's actually about getting to work with them and getting to understand how they operate and all that's important right now is that can we find our feet together." In appointing the 49-year-old, New Zealand Cricket board member Roger Twose said Walter's South African "steel" and "interpersonal skills" stood out from the other applicants. "My philosophy on coaching is based on relationships," Walter said. "I think there can be no better or more privileged position to be in than to develop a relationship with a player, see how they work their way through the problem solving element of cricket and find their way onto the other side, and just be able to walk that part of the journey is ultimately why we do the game. "The wins are great and all of that sort of stuff but to see personal progress and to understand what goes into progressing in the game of cricket and then being part of the journey is everything. "Very often cricket can be heavy and international cricket there's a lot of pressure in that space, so finding a way to allow the players to really enjoy the journey is important because it makes them better people but better cricketers as well." Walter is unfazed by the commitment it takes to coach the ODI, T20 and test teams. Stead had previously encouraged New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to consider splitting the coaching role to lessen the load but NZC wanted one man to take control of all three formats. Walter had coached South Africa's white ball teams since 2023 before stepping down this year due to personal reasons. His family, wife Heather and two sons, live in the Hawke's Bay and they were in New Zealand while he was on duty with South Africa. "I'm more excited about being back involved in Test cricket to be honest. The family are aware [of the commitment] I've spent the last two and a half years dealing with international cricket and a lot of travel and they love being part of it so I don't think that'll change. "I'm a purist as well so Test cricket has always been important to me, love that format of the game and certainly agree with Kane in saying that it is the soul of cricket." Twose said Walter's nine years in New Zealand were "material" to the appointments panel. "He was a very strong understanding of the New Zealand cricket system and in fact coached many of the players that are in the Black Caps today." Players had given good feedback on Walter and his planning, Twose said. Central Stags coach Rob Walter. Photo: BLAKE ARMSTRONG / PHOTOSPORT Walter has had success with two different major associations in New Zealand. He coached the Central Stags to two pieces of silverware - Ford Trophy and Plunket Shield - in the 2022/23 season. He also guided the Otago Volts to white ball finals in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons. Walter is clear about the links between the domestic and international programme. "[Domestic cricket] is critically important to the success of the main team, the national side, so to maintain strong relationships, understand what's happening below us, how we can potentially assist that process is critical. "You can't see the national side's results as separate to what's actually happening on the ground and so we have to acknowledge that things are going well there. "The domestic programme I think is pretty strong. It's probably underrated in terms of its strength and we see that because guys come into the international fray having only played domestic cricket and do really well." Walter believes the pathway for players aspiring to be Black Caps is "probably better than ever before". "I think there is a real strong collaboration in New Zealand [between the major associations and the Black Caps] because we understand it's a small country and the resources are limited in comparison so we have to make sure that we utilize everything that we have and every little edge that we have. And part of that edge is actually being small so it doesn't take a long time for information to cross paths and so we just want to build on that." With many established Black Caps opting to take up overseas franchise contracts the next tier of talent are getting a go - something that Walter sees as being good for the future of the national team. "If you're a young cricketer in the environment there's a lot to be excited about. "I think they've already proven themselves. The Pakistan series had a lot of younger players involved and they did exceptionally well in that series. "So the depth is there, there's no doubt depth will be challenged. "I think that's the nature of international cricket at the moment especially for countries like New Zealand, there's a draw card for players to play in the [overseas] leagues and so being able to manage that is a challenge, but I think New Zealand has done it well so far." Walter coached the New Zealand A team in 2022 and had previously been an assistant coach in the Indian Premier League with the Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Stead to step down as New Zealand head coach
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead will step down from the role when his contract expires at the end of the 53-year-old had already said he would quit as coach of the Black Caps' one-day international and T20 sides, but had remained interested in coaching the Test New Zealand Cricket decided they want one head coach across all three formats, which effectively ruled Stead out of the Test a former top-order batter who played five Tests for the Kiwis, succeeded Mike Hesson in August 2018 and oversaw a period of highlight was guiding New Zealand to the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 where they defeated India in the was also in charge of the white-ball teams which reached the finals of the 2019 50-over World Cup, 2022 T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy in said he still has the "coaching bug" and will "look to explore opportunities at home and abroad"."There's been some amazing memories over the past seven years based around a group of fantastic and talented people who have gone out to give their best for their country, each other and for the fans," he said."For a country with five million people and limited resources, we comparatively perform outstandingly well against the other powerhouses of the game."It's been nice to be competitive across all three formats and I'd like to think that regardless of results, the opposition know the Black Caps are a team that won't fold and will always show the grit and determination to compete."Stead took charge of 268 matches across all formats with 147 victories, 100 defeats, six draws, six ties and nine matches with no New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said Stead "gave absolutely everything" to the Kiwi cause."There was no one more hard working and passionate about seeing the Black Caps grow and succeed," added Williamson."He was always thorough in his planning and preparation and will go down as one of our best coaches, but an even better bloke."
RNZ News
7 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Gary Stead calls time on Black Caps coaching career
Gary Stead has called time on his Black Caps coaching career after seven years in charge. Earlier this year Stead stepped away from the white ball role and now it's confirmed he won't be the Test team coach either. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
NZ Herald
24-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Black Caps: Lockie Ferguson not giving up on international career, targets next T20 World Cup
And even though Ben Sears has emerged as the heir to the mantle of New Zealand's fastest bowler, Ferguson's experience at the highest level make him a must-have come the biggest moments. The only issue, though, is his lack of a contract. While former NZ Cricket chief executive David White appeared prepared to draw a hard line in only selecting players who have committed to the national organisation above all else, current boss Scott Weenink has been more understanding of the realities of the modern game. Ferguson, along with Kane Williamson and Devon Conway, was picked for New Zealand's 15-man squad for this year's Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai, despite not being on full central contracts. And with another T20 World Cup to be held in India at the start of 2026, Ferguson told the Alternative Commentary Collective's Agenda Podcast that he remains committed to the Black Caps, if and when they come calling. 'I'll hopefully keep playing, I want to play for New Zealand still,' Ferguson said. 'It's hard, I've sort of put myself in the position on both sides. There's opportunities with franchises - New Zealand cricketers, relative to other nations, don't get paid as much. 'There's opportunity there financially when you get to the back end of your career. At the same time, we all want to play for New Zealand, we all want to win a World Cup. That's a major driver for us. 'How does that work? It's above my paygrade. But from my point of view, I just try to be honest and say I'm available for these times, and try to work with NZC and the coach at the time.' Should he get the call-up, Ferguson could add to his record at T20 World Cups, which included becoming the first player to bowl four maidens in a single game at a men's tournament, when he took 3/0 against Papua New Guinea last year. Meanwhile, in what he himself admits are the final days of his career, Ferguson has already begun to plan for what's next. As a means of giving back to the game, Ferguson is in the process of launching his own app, YorkerCo, as a resource for up and coming fast bowlers. YorkerCo is already active on Instagram and TikTok, with YouTube to come. And as his playing career begins to wind down, Ferguson is hoping he can use his own experiences - which have included more than his fair share of injuries - to give back to the next generation, wanting to lace up a pair of bowling boots. Advertise with NZME. 'You get to the back end of your career, and I get so many questions from young bowlers and their parents like 'what can I do to be a fast bowler? What are the things to work on?' 'There are technical things for sure, but the tracking of how many balls you bowl a week is probably the number one thing. You can bowl quick, you can adjust your technique over time. '[But] I just see so many young kids getting injured. I'm seeing 14, 15-year-old kids getting stress fractures in their back. You'll say 'that's part of being a fast bowler', but why? Kids can be bowling up to 40 overs a week, without really thinking about it. 'From my point of view, it's early stages. But if I can try to educate kids from a fun point of view, make sure they're interested - I'm very aware 16-year-old kids aren't going to listen about bowling loads - but even if we just talk about it more, it might sink in a little bit. 'Then, hopefully, we'll create more fast bowlers who bowl faster for longer, and win a World Cup one day.' Regardless of how his career finishes, Ferguson does still have one milestone he wants to tick off before hanging up the boots for good. Since his debut in 2016, Ferguson has played 65 times for New Zealand in One Day International cricket, and is currently stranded on 99 wickets. With T20 commitments and no central contract, there is little guarantee Ferguson will play another 50 over game for the Black Caps. But like he's doing with T20s, Ferguson himself hopes to get one last crack to break back into New Zealand's ODI plans. 'It's heartbreaking,' he professed. 'I've had a couple of dips the last year, trying to get back into the side. 'Injuries have got the better of me, unfortunately. I'm not sure, I might end up [stuck on] 99. 'We'll see how the next year plays out.'
