New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have announced the appointment of South African Rob Walter as the Black Caps' new head coach across all formats, following the departure of Gary Stead after seven years at the helm.

Stead revealed on Wednesday that he would step down from his role as Test coach at the end of the month, having already relinquished his white-ball duties in April.

Walter, 49, most recently oversaw South Africa’s One-Day International and Twenty20 squads, leading them to the semi-finals of the 2023 Cricket World Cup and the final of the T20 World Cup in 2022. He is no stranger to New Zealand cricket, having previously coached domestic sides and led a Black Caps ‘A’ tour of India in 2022.

“The Black Caps have been a successful and highly regarded team on the world stage for some time, and it’s a real privilege to be given the chance to contribute to that,” Walter said in an NZC statement.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to work with such a talented group of players and support staff during a period filled with global events and major bilateral series.”

Walter has signed a contract running through to the end of the 2028 Cricket World Cup, which will be co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

NZC CEO Scott Weenink praised the appointment:

“Rob is a world-class coach with an outstanding pedigree. His success in New Zealand’s domestic game, combined with his recent accomplishments with South Africa, make him the ideal candidate to lead the Black Caps forward.”

New Zealand’s next international fixtures are scheduled for July, when they begin their tour of Zimbabwe. The itinerary includes two Test matches and a T20 tri-series, which also features South Africa.