Gary Stead, who guided New Zealand to the inaugural World Test Championship crown, has been named head coach of Andhra for the 2025-26 Indian domestic season. The 53-year-old replaces Tinu Yohannan, now working at the MRF Pace Foundation.
“Andhra cricket enters a new era under his guidance, aiming for bigger milestones and top-tier performances this season,” the Andhra Cricket Association posted on X, welcoming their new coach on Friday.
Stead’s CV is weighty. During his 2018-25 stint with the Black Caps he oversaw three ICC finals in limited-overs cricket and presided over a landmark 3-0 Test series victory in India. Earlier coaching roles included taking New Zealand Women to the finals of both the 2009 ODI and 2010 T20 World Cups, plus three Plunket Shield titles with Canterbury.
A solid, if brief, international playing career underpins that pedigree: five Tests, 278 runs at 34.75, and more than 10,000 domestic runs across first-class and List-A cricket. That background, Andhra officials believe, gives him the rounded perspective required for India’s demanding domestic circuit.
Recent results underline the scale of the task. Andhra finished sixth in their Ranji Trophy group last season, registering just one outright win from seven matches. Limited-overs returns were similarly modest—no progress beyond the Vijay Hazare group stage and defeat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali preliminary quarter-final. Stead’s first assignment arrives swiftly: a Ranji opener against Uttar Pradesh on 15 October.
Why opt for a foreign coach now? Association insiders point to two factors: fresh tactical ideas and the desire to sharpen first-class skills. New Zealand’s methodical, data-driven approach—favouring consistent lengths with the ball and patient scoring with the bat—aligns with the slow-burn nature of Ranji cricket. How quickly those methods translate onto often low, turning Indian pitches remains the obvious question.
Stead himself has yet to comment publicly, though his recent remarks on coaching suggest he relishes “working with players keen to learn and push standards every day.” Andhra would settle for that mindset turning tight draws into wins.
For a side still chasing a maiden Ranji quarter-final, the appointment feels ambitious rather than headline-grabbing. Results, as ever, will decide whether it is remembered as visionary or merely bold.
