Former South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter appointed head coach of New Zealand Men’s cricket team

‌Rob Walter was appointed as the new coach of the New Zealand Men’s cricket team on Friday on a three-year contract that will see him in charge of the side in all formats till 2028. The former South Africa white-ball coach takes over the side from Gary Stead, who decided to step down after his successful seven-year stint with the Kiwis.

Walter is expected to take charge later this month ahead of the Zimbabwe tour scheduled in July. The Kiwis will play a T20I tri-series in Harare, with South Africa being the third team, before rounding off their tour with a two-Test duel against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

He will oversee the team through their new World Test Championship cycle in addition to the T20 World Cups in 2026 and 2028 and the ODI World Cup in 2027. He is also expected to be the coach of the side during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where cricket makes a historic return after a gap of 128 years.

"The Blackcaps have been a successful and highly-regarded team on the world scene for some time now and it's a real privilege to be given the chance to add to that," Walter said.

"It's an amazing opportunity to work with such a talented group of players and support staff through a period of time in which so many global events, as well as massive bilateral series, will be contested.

"I just can't wait to get started. It's exciting, it's challenging, and the opportunity is enormous for everyone."

Before taking up this role, Walter was the head coach of the South African white-ball unit which made it to the semifinals of the ODI World Cup in 2023 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and also reached the final of the T20 World Cup in 2024. He has first-hand experience in New Zealand’s domestic circuit too with stints as head coach of Otago Volts and Central Stags before shifting base to the Rainbow Nation with NZC chief executive Scott Weenink also echoing on the same.

"Rob is a world-class coach with an outstanding pedigree," said Weenink. "His success in New Zealand's domestic game, combined with his recent achievements on the global stage with South Africa, makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Blackcaps. We're excited to welcome Rob back home to guide our team through an exciting and challenging period, including three major ICC events."

Walter inherits a successful New Zealand side that won the WTC’s first edition in 2021, their first ICC title after 21 years, and also reached summit clashes in the 2019 ODI World Cup, the T20 World Cup in 2021 and the Champions Trophy earlier this year. In between the two summit clashes in 2021 and 2025, the Kiwis also had two semifinal appearances in the T20 and ODI World Cup in 2022 and 2023, respectively.