New Zealand were ousted from the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 after Afghanistan beat Papua New Guinea by seven wickets in their Group C match in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday. The result meant hosts West Indies and Afghanistan marched on to the Super Eight stage of the World Cup, sending New Zealand crashing out.
The defeat also meant New Zealand’s head coach Gary Stead’s future was uncertain.
New Zealand got off to a horrid start in the ongoing T20 World Cup losing their first two matches to Afghanistan and West Indies.
Gary Stead, who took over as New Zealand’s coach in 2018 and led them to the final in the 2021 edition, said although the preparation was good, the team lacked in their application and implied that his future isn’t in his hands.
“That’s a question you should be asking other people,” Stead told Radio New Zealand after being asked if he is the right person to coach the team.
He added: “I can look at myself in the mirror and know that the preparation we tried to put in place has been as good as (possible).”
After losing to the West Indies, Stead said the entire squad were disappointed at how they have performed in the ongoing tournament. For the record, the Black Caps did not play any warm-up games prior to the T20 World Cup.
The last T20I series New Zealand played was against Pakistan at the end of April. The five-match T20 series were shared by the teams with two wins each after the first match was abandoned due to rain.
“It’s a hollow feeling and the guys are disappointed. We came here to try to win matches and tournaments,” Stead said after the West Indies beat New Zealand.
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