CHENNAI: When Gary Stead took over as head coach of the Andhra men's team, there were certain expectations from him. And understandably so. The veteran coach came in with a wealth of experience, having coached the New Zealand team for seven years. His tenure between 2018 and 2025 saw the Black Caps finish as finalists in the 2019 ODI World Cup, 2021 T20 World Cup and win the 2021 World Test Championship.
For him, working in a domestic state team in India posed a different kind of challenge. One that took time getting used to. The focus, for Stead, was on creating an environment for the players to flourish. And it worked to an extent as Andhra reached the quarterfinal of the Ranji Trophy last year.
Twelve months on, Stead and Andhra are looking to build on the process they have put in place with the premier red-ball tournament getting underway on Sunday. "It's something I never really thought I would do, but the opportunity came up. The first year was quite successful in the way we played our cricket and adapted — the team adjusting to me and me adjusting to the team. Overall, it's been a really enjoyable experience, which is why I wanted to come back and work with the team again," Stead told TNIE. "The main thing is creating a positive and consistent environment where players are allowed to flourish with their skills. It's easy to pick out negatives, but we need to find the positives and build their games around what they do really well. As a team, we've tried to play a positive brand of cricket, trust each other in our roles, and keep advancing both individually and as a group," he added.
He called the first match against heavyweights Karnataka a "litmus test". A chance for the group of players, led by Ricky Bhui, to show what they have done behind the scenes. The pre-season camp has been about getting together as a group in August before playing an invitational tournament in Karnataka. They reached the final of the Dr. (Capt.) K. Thimmappiah Memorial Tournament 2026–27 and finished runners-up. "We are certainly not short on match practice and are ready from a fitness perspective. Over the last ten days, we have been training at Mulapadu where our first game will be played. We have integrated a few new staff members and brought up a couple of players from the U23 setup. It's an exciting group, and it's great to be so close to the Ranji Trophy season," said an upbeat Stead.
Working with psychologist Bavare
As a part of their pre-season preparation, Andhra Cricket Association roped in the services of renowned sports psychologist Mugdha Bavare. The purpose, here, was to put mental health in the front and centre and recognise it as an essential part of sporting excellence. "One of the hardest things for people is being vulnerable and accepting their flaws. Cricket is very much a mental game, so bringing in basics around how we think, why we think that way, and how to respond under pressure is crucial. The higher up you go, the game becomes more about your mindset than your technique. Technique matters, but the difference between good and great players is how they think about and approach the game. My philosophy as a coach is to make sure the head space, mindset, and environment are right so players can perform at their best," Stead explained, adding that the players responded well to the team session. "All the players felt it was a very positive session. I hope some of them will do one-on-one follow-ups with Mugdha or someone else to keep learning about handling pressure and maintaining routines that give them the best chance of success. Overall, it's been very positive," he added.
Having done all the right things in the pre-season prep, the 54-year-old felt now it is over to the players to go out and express themselves. "When you only play seven games, every single match is important. We hope to play good cricket and get the result we deserve, but it's too early to predict outcomes. It's pretty hot right now and pitch conditions can change quickly, but the team is as prepared as possible and in a good frame of mind. Now, it's up to them to let their bat and ball do the talking," he signed off.
Last three seasons
2023-24: Quarterfinal
2024-25: Group stage
2025-26: Quarterfinal
Schedule
Oct 11: vs Karnataka, Vijayawada
Oct 18: vs Hyderabad, Vizianagaram
Oct 26: vs Chhattisgarh, Raipur
Nov 2: vs Punjab, New Chandigarh
Jan 17: vs Saurashtra, Vizag
Jan 24: vs Tripura, Agartala
Feb 1: vs Assam, Vizag
Squad: Ricky Bhui (C), Shaik Rasheed, Saurabh Kumar, Satyanarayana Raju, Kavuri Saiteja, KV Sasikanth, Tripurana Vijay, M Hemanth Reddy (VC), Uppara Girinath, Karan Shinde, Lalith Mohan, Seeram Rahul, Abhishek Reddy, Revanth Reddy, Cheepurapalli Stephen
Stand-by: K Ashwin Hebbar, Dhruva Kumar Reddy, M Madhav Rayudu, T Bharath.