I'm out of comfort zone, but an opportunity to learn and build a better team: Stead on Andhra stint

Visakhapatnam, Oct 11 (PTI) Gary Stead understands that being the head coach of Andhra for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season places him outside his comfort zone, but the New Zealander believes that the challenge will widen his coaching knowledge base.

Stead, who guided New Zealand to the WTC title, T20 World Cup final in 2021, 2019 ODI World Cup final and 2025 Champions Trophy title clash, is now entrusted with the task of giving a fillip to Andhra cricket.

"I think I'm out of my comfort zone here after being in New Zealand. I'm trying to put myself out there a little bit and try and, I guess, be uncomfortable with the role, but I'm certainly looking forward to the challenge ahead," Stead told PTI.

Stead joins a list of foreign coaches who worked in Indian domestic cricket including Dav Whatmore, Michael Bevan, Intikhab Alam, Darren Holder, Shaun Williams, Dermott Reeve and Alvin Kallicharan.

"I think for me, it's also a great opportunity to keep learning about my coaching as well," he said.

Stead said he was impressed by the vision offered to him by Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) president K Sivanath and secretary S Satheesh Babu during an intense three-month negotiations.

"I was talking to some people that I knew who just told me that the Andhra role was up and that the people here were interested in talking to me.

"I had a meeting with them and I liked the direction they were trying to take the team and it went from there. I'm really excited to be here and working with the team." But how tough was it for him to take up a domestic assignment faraway from his home country after spending eight years as a national coach? "I don't sort of look at it (coaching) at whatever level it is. I think the role of the coach is to come in and try and make the team better and try and make individuals better within the team. It will certainly be my focus when I'm here." The 53-year-old firmly believes that his new role has the capacity to teach him a few new things.

"There's a few things that I really love here. I love cricket in India for a start. Things can change so quickly over here with the different pitches, the soils that are used, the clays that are used, etc. It's a challenge." But the Kiwi is no stranger to Indian conditions, having visited the country several times as the New Zealand coach. He masterminded their stunning 3-0 away Test series whitewash of India last year.

Stead said that experience will help him in his new role.

"I've been to India, probably, eight or nine times now. Every time you come here, you play in different grounds, you learn more and more about the different clays that are used and you grow up with that experience as well.

"My philosophy around coaching is to try and make the players to be their own best coaches as well and I'll be working hard to ensure that they can make good decisions out in the middle because that's a really important part of growing a player,” he explained.

In that context, Stead is quite excited to work with the Andhra team that features India players Nitish Kumar Reddy, KS Bharat and seasoned domestic cricketers such as Ricky Bhui etc.

"I'm still getting to know the players, but there is a lot of talent here. There's a nice mix and blend of younger players and older players and if they can come together and play well as a team and as a group, then I hope that we put pressure on every team that we play." Andhra is clubbed with Uttar Pradesh, Baroda, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, defending champions Vidarbha and Nagaland in Elite Group A for this season's Ranji Trophy.

Stead is confident that the split Ranji Trophy season will not affect the players' performance or his job.

"No, no, that'll be fine. I think most places around the world now have the four-day competition split across the season. Doing it that way makes a lot of sense.

"It's good for players that they have to adapt and make some changes because that's what happens internationally as well." Stead is confident that he can juggle between his two concurrent roles of the Andhra head coach and the high performance coach with the New Zealand Cricket.

"That's (high performance coach) just a part-time role when I'm back in New Zealand, just helping out. My Andhra role here is only for the Ranji Trophy, for the red ball team.

"So, I will still, I guess, oversee some of the white ball stuff, but I won't physically be here for it. So, that's, I think, quite manageable." Stead's splendid coaching credentials have already raised the hopes of him performing a miracle with the Andhra side this season. How is he dealing with the pressures of expectations? "All I can do is look in the mirror every day and know that I'm doing the role that I've been coming here to be asked to do. So, whilst I respect that there are a lot of fans and that they want to see Andhra do well, I do too.

"They have some wonderful talent here — batters, pace bowlers, it’s a good mix. So, I will be working my utmost to make that happen (Andhra doing well). So, I can't really control what other people think about it,” he signed off. PTI UNG APA APA