Gary Stead rubbishes claims of him trying to remove Kane Williamson from Test captaincy

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead revealed that all the rumours of him trying to remove Kane Williamson from Test captaincy were absolutely false, stating that he and Kane Williamson share a great relationship.

Kane Williamson-led New Zealand suffered a 0-3 whitewash in the Test series against arch-rivals Australia on their 2019-20 tour. The manner of the defeat was such that it started rumours that Gary Stead favoured experienced batsman Tom Latham to take over from Kane Williamson as the Black Caps' Test skipper.

But, Gary Stead stated that he had no idea where those murmurs circulated from. He added that having a difference of opinion was only natural and that he enjoyed an excellent understanding with Kane Williamson.

"There's no truth to it ... that was certainly news to me… certainly had no conversations around that sort of thing. At this stage, Kane's our man. He's the guy we've backed. He's been a great leader for this team and I'm sure he will be in the future as well," Gary Stead was quoted as saying by 'Newshub'.

New Zealand reached the 2019 WC final under Kane Williamson

Gary Stead also recalled the way New Zealand played throughout the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. The Kiwis punched well above their weight and played with the right spirit throughout the tournament.

New Zealand, under Kane Williamson's tutelage, reached the final, defeating India in the semi-final on the way. The summit clash between the Kiwis and England was so even that the final was decided by a Super Over.

In fact, the teams could not be separated during the one-over eliminator as well, with New Zealand losing the World Cup on the boundary count.

Although the nature of the loss was heartbreaking and difficult to accept for the New Zealand side and their fans, Gary Stead was extremely proud of the character that the New Zealand team showed throughout the tournament and the way they accepted the reality sportingly after the final.

Kane Williamson too, won plenty of hearts for the way he conducted himself in the aftermath of the encounter as he sported a smile throughout, even as he watched the World Cup being snatched away from in front of his eyes.

"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. 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," Gary Stead asserted.

As for New Zealand's fortunes in the longest format, they bounced back exceptionally well against India. Though Kane Williamson scored a solitary half-century during that series, his troops rose to the occasion to trump the Men In Blue 2-0 in the two-match series.