|| Desk Report ||

New Zealand head Coach Gary Stead has revealed that the loss in 2019 World Cup final still hangs around in him.

Tuesday will mark one year of the epic World Cup final at the Lord’s where the Kiwis had lost to hosts England on boundary count-back rule after scores were tied even after the super over.

“I think there’s a wee bit of hurt from time to time and I guess any Kiwi fan is probably very much in that same boat. There’s no bitterness at all, we understood the rules going into the match,” Gary Stead said.

“I do think about it a bit, I think everyone has really different emotions around it. The thing that stands out for me is that it’s all a bit numb, really, in some ways but enormously proud of the way we played the whole tournament,” Stead said as New Zealand’s top cricketers resumed their training after the COVID-19 forced break.

“As a Kiwi and as a supporter of the Blackcaps it was hard to be any more proud of the way they played and fought in that match,” he added.

Stead backed Kane Williamson to captain New Zealand Test team after there some rumours that Tom Latham would replace him as Test captain.

“There’s no truth to it ... that was certainly news to me… certainly had no conversations around that sort of thing,” Stead was quoted as saying by ‘Newshub’ as he opened up on the issue for the first time.