Gary Stead expected to step down as Black Caps coach, Jason Gillespie says he won’t chase the job

Saturday, 18 January 2025

New Zealand coach Gary Stead and captain Mitchell Santner won’t be a duo for much longer, with Stead likely to step down in the coming months.

Jason Gillespie has ruled himself out as a contender to succeed Gary Stead as Black Caps coach, as New Zealand Cricket prepares to open the race to find a new man at the helm.

Stead has not commented publicly on his future but is almost certain to step aside when his contract expires after Pakistan’s tour in April, The Post understands. It would end a largely successful six-year tenure highlighted by the World Test Championship win in 2021, World Cup finals in 50-over (2019) and T20 (2021), and last year’s stunning 3-0 test series sweep in India.

Former Australian fast bowler Gillespie immediately sprang to mind as a leading candidate, a highly regarded coach of Yorkshire, Sussex and South Australia who guided Pakistan to a 2-1 test series win over Brendon McCullum’s England last year.

Gillespie, who was contracted until 2026, stepped aside in December, citing a complete lack of communication from the Pakistan board, and the feeling his role as head coach was diminished.

Former Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie, right, says he will not chase the Black Caps job when it becomes vacant.

But the Black Caps job is not on Gillespie’s radar, he told The Post in response to a text message. “I won’t be applying for the role in New Zealand,” he said.

That leaves several former Black Caps, some current domestic coaches and an offshore wild card as the leading candidates for when NZC calls for applicants to take the test squad to Zimbabwe in July. The biggest drawback for candidates is the punishing schedule and time away from home, while former test skippers like Stephen Fleming, Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori are all out of NZC’s league in their more lucrative offshore roles.

Former Volts and Stags head coach Rob Walter was highly regarded when he departed New Zealand for the South Africa white ball job.

First things first. NZC chief executive Scott Weenink is known to be open to splitting the head coach roles between red and white ball, as other countries like South Africa and England have done.

South African Rob Walter coached Otago and Central Districts before being signed as the Proteas’ white ball coach in January 2023. He has strong New Zealand connections and was name checked by allrounder Nathan Smith last year as a huge influence on his development in Dunedin.

Depending on whether Walter is keen, he would loom as a strong option to help the T20 and 50-over sides, having departed New Zealand with a fast growing reputation as a fine coach.

Peter Fulton is a former Black Caps batting coach who forged a successful career in charge of Canterbury.

Current assistant Luke Ronchi, the former Black Caps wicketkeeper, is also highly regarded and took charge for the recent series against Sri Lanka with Stead on a break. His lack of head coaching experience could be seen as a drawback but being in the environment is a plus.

Next stop are the current men’s domestic coaches, which has become the accepted path to the Black Caps job trod by Stead and Mike Hesson, who had six years in charge from 2012-2018.

Canterbury coach Peter Fulton heads that list of contenders, a former batting coach for the Black Caps under Stead who forged a successful path in Christchurch, overseeing the emergence of Will O’Rourke, Zak Foulkes and Mitch Hay into the national side.

If the job was split, the former test opener would be a strong candidate for the red ball role, and a good fit with test skipper Tom Latham. The Black Caps test schedule is thin this year with two in Zimbabwe and three at home against West Indies in December the only series locked in. Next year is a big one: a three-test tour of England, two home tests against India, then a four-test tour of Australia including the 2026 Boxing Day test in Melbourne.

Shane Jurgensen with Mitchell Santner during his second stint as Black Caps bowling coach.

Wellington Firebirds coach Shane Jurgensen had two stints as Black Caps bowling coach and was head coach of Bangladesh. He seemingly took the Firebirds job to gain more head coaching experience and would also be a leading contender.

Central Stags coach Glenn Pocknall formerly coached the Firebirds and led the Black Caps on their abandoned Pakistan tour in 2021. He will be in the mix but appears to be behind Fulton and Jurgensen in the pecking order.

Former Central Stags and Auckland coach Heinrich Malan was runnerup to Stead in 2018, but recently extended his deal with Ireland to 2026 so may have moved on from seeking the Black Caps role.

At this early stage, pending an announcement that Stead won’t seek a contract extension, Fulton and Jurgensen look the frontrunners with Walter and Ronchi in the mix for the white ball job if the roles were split (and if Walter wants to move on from the South Africa job).

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Champions Trophy captain Mitchell Santner is expected to return to the T20 Super Smash for Northern Brave on Sunday, as all the frontline Black Caps filter back for the business end of the competition.

Of those who haven’t yet reappeared after the Sri Lanka series, Santner is pencilled in to play against Canterbury on Sunday. Matt Henry is down to return for the Kings against Firebirds in Wellington on Wednesday, and Nathan Smith and Daryl Mitchell for the return fixture on Friday.

Rachin Ravindra is the last Black Cap pencilled in to return, for the Firebirds against Auckland Aces on Monday, January 27.