Black Caps coach Gary Stead has responded to criticism of his break from coaching duties during the ODI series against India, saying he was surprised by the vitriol his absence produced.
Stead missed the 3-0 ODI series victory over India in order to take a planned break to manage his workload during a busy year for the Black Caps, but that decision – as well as the poor timing and communication of it – caused a firestorm.
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Former Black Cap and current Radio Sport commentator Jeremy Coney was one of the most vocal critics of Stead's brief holiday, calling it "ridiculous" and suggesting that if his workload was too much, he could "go and get a job in a hardware store".
But when quizzed on Coney's comments in his first interview since the break was revealed, Stead brushed it aside.