Steady Stead good man for top job: Williamson
New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson has pointed to Gary Stead’s temperament as a key factor in his selection as Black Caps coach.
Williamson was consulted during the appointment process and had a chance to question Stead once the shortlist was established.
However, previous cameos by Stead within the New Zealand set-up gave the skipper a gauge.
“That role was specific to batting but he has a good manner. I think that’s important, because at international level, you can go through so many emotions.
“Staying calm while that’s going on is vital. That’s something that stood out for me but it’s a small sample size, so it’s hard to go into too much detail until we get to know each other better.”
That will start with coffee when Williamson returns next month from his stint with Yorkshire. He will play two more first-class fixtures after his side lost to Nottinghamshire yesterday (he was run out after making 44 off 26 balls) and fell one place short of the English T20 Blast quarter-finals.
“We had a brief discussion when it [the coaching field] got narrowed down, so it was nice to cover off a few things,” Williamson said.
“It’s an exciting time for Gary. He’s gone through the coaching levels with Canterbury and I’ve heard a lot of good things from their players.
“It has come about quite suddenly, as has been well-documented [with Mike Hesson’s resignation], but at the same time, I’m sure he’ll come into it in a relaxed fashion, which I think is important with the group we’ve got.”
Williamson said having Stead involved in Craig McMillan’s absence, like during the 2016-17 series against Bangladesh, had been good as a way to offer an insight into the team dynamic.
“That has perhaps given him a few ideas on things he might want to introduce or touch on, and also some of the things he might want to continue doing.
“There will definitely be a transition period, as always happens when you bring in a new player, a support staff member and certainly a head coach. We’ll try to make that as seamless as possible because there are a number of areas that are going well which we want to continue.
“But at the same time, things will be a little different and it’s important we’re challenged with a fresh set of eyes and a new voice.”
Debate ensued when the recentlyretired Luke Ronchi and incumbent test wicketkeeper BJ Watling were announced as the players’ voice on the selection panel. Williamson endorsed their presence.
“BJ and Luke both did a fantastic job, as did the others. Luke isn’t playing any more but both those individuals epitomise what the team is about.”
Williamson graduated to the fulltime leadership of the team in April 2016. He has skippered New Zealand in 17 of his 65 tests, 53 of his 127 oneday internationals and 33 of his 51 Twenty20s.
Stead guided Canterbury to three Plunket Shield titles and the 2016-17 Ford Trophy in the past six seasons, and took the White Ferns to finals at the 2009 World Cup, and 2009 and 2010 World T20s.
The pair’s first assignment together will be against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, which starts in October and encompasses all formats.