Rob Walter the hot favourite to be new Black Caps coach - but where does Gary Stead fit in?

Saturday, 5 April 2025

Rob Walter has stepped down as South Africa’s white-ball coach.

3rd ODI: New Zealand vs Pakistan. Where: Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui. When: 11am Saturday. Coverage: Live on TVNZ+, TVNZ Duke, updates at Stuff.

The prospect of Rob Walter becoming the new Black Caps coach looks to have firmed considerably this week.

Walter, who coached the Otago and Central Districts men’s sides for seven seasons, has stepped down from his job as white-ball coach with South Africa for personal reasons.

The 49-year-old has remained based in New Zealand, with a wife and family here, and appears ideally placed to take over from long-term New Zealand head coach Gary Stead, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

Stead hasn’t been drawn into commenting on whether he will re-apply after seven seasons in charge. It’s understood the 53-year-old may consider seeking to stay on as test coach only, if New Zealand Cricket is amenable to the idea of splitting the role between the red-ball and white-ball formats for the first time.

The coaching strategy, which has been employed by other national sides in recent years, was discussed when Stead had his contract extended again in 2023 for a further two years.

Black Caps coach Gary Stead says any advantage India has gained from playing all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai does not worry them too much.

“There was strong feedback around Gary continuing, but there was also feedback around making sure we keep having fresh voices and ideas coming into the environment,” said NZC’s High Performance general manager Bryan Stronach at the time.

“I suppose the split coaching is one way of doing that, but when we weighed it all up we thought we could continue the good stuff Gary has brought to the side and the organisation, but also get the fresh ideas and so forth through other means, than just the split coaching.”

Since then however, the Black Caps have shifted to separate captains for the test and white-ball teams and it’s believed NZC, under chief executive Scott Weenink - who was appointed in August 2023 following the departure of David White - may strongly consider the option this time. It would provide the benefit of using Stead’s experience and knowledge of the current players to continue to develop a younger test squad, while reducing the workload for a head coach during an increasingly busy international season.

Next year’s major ICC event is the T20 World Cup, to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka in February and March.

New Zealand’s test schedule over the next year is not an arduous one - they will play two tests in Zimbabwe in August, and a three-match series at home versus the West Indies in December, before T20Is become the priority until a test in Ireland in May, followed by three versus England.

Walter has been linked as a prospective Black Caps coach over recent months by The Post.

He took over as South Africa's ODI and T20I coach in 2023, and guided them to the T20 World Cup final last year, and into the semifinals of the recent Champions Trophy in Pakistan, where they were beaten by the Black Caps.

ESPNcricinfo reported this week that Walter had initially agreed to relocate to South Africa when he was appointed in 2023.

“However, when Cricket South Africa (CSA) pushed him on it, Walter is understood to have backtracked and said he had only agreed to consider moving back and had decided against it.”

Should Stead decide not to re-apply for the job in any way, former test opener and batting coach Peter Fulton may have the inside track as test coach if NZC offer the white-ball role to Walter.

Fulton has successfully coached Canterbury in recent seasons and while he may not wish to assume full control of the national side, could find the test job suitable.

Former Black Caps bowling coach Shane Jurgensen - now in charge of the Wellington Firebirds - and current batting coach Luke Ronchi are other possibilities to replace Stead.

His 2024/25 season, and that of his charges, will end on Saturday when the Black Caps meet Pakistan in the third and final game of their ODI series in Mt Maunganui.

The hosts lead the series 2-0 after wins in Napier and Hamilton, following a 4-1 triumph in the T20I series between the two.

New Zealand (from): Nick Kelly, Rhys Mariu, Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Muhammad Abbas, Michael Bracewell (captain), Mitch Hay (wicketkeeper), Nathan Smith, Adi Ashok, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke.

Pakistan (from): Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Usman Khan, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wicketkeeper), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Irfan Khan, Akif Javed, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem, Moammad Wasim, Mohammad Ali.