Cricket: Blackcaps coach Gary Stead dismisses concerns over perceived disrespect from under-strength Proteas test squad

The Blackcaps insist they'll treat South Africa's understrength test squad with the utmost respect, when they arrive in New Zealand later this month.

With their first-choice players unavailable due to their domestic T20 competition, a team with just 50 caps between them has been named.

The move has been widely criticised but Blackcaps coach Gary Stead's not having a bar of it and has a message for those writing them off.

Put simply, South Africa's dominated New Zealand in test cricket. Twenty-six wins from 47 matches, including their 2013 humiliation of the New Zealanders, dismissing them for just 45 runs in the first innings of the opening test in Cape Town.

In fact, the Blackcaps have only won beaten the Proteas a grand total of five times.

All of the above considered, Stead's sticking to the facts as he contemplates what's ahead. 

"We've never beaten South Africa in a test series ever," said Stead. 

South Africa's won 12 of the 16 previous contests between the two nations, while there have been four drawn series.

"We're certainly not going to be taking them lightly and neither will our team," he added. 

Cricket South Africa might be prioritizing their own T20 competition, hence naming their understrength squad. 

Instead, Stead is focusing on a chance to create history.

 "Here's an opportunity, in two tests in a month or so that's in front of us, that we will be looking forward to and we will be doing our best to win each test match, as we do every time."

And the man he succeeded in the role - Mike Hesson - says they've got no choice.

"I'm a huge fan of test cricket and I love it," Hesson told Newshub."But the reality is, it needs to get funds from somewhere else to survive" 

Followed his six-year tenure as Blackcaps coach, Hesson spent nearly a decade in Twenty20 franchise cricket - mostly in India.

"You're going to have to find ways to co-exist and every country's got to find their own way."

"It's hard when there's different competitions on but I think that's the reality of the current world at the moment." 

The first of two tests against the Proteas starts at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval on February 4, with the second scheduled for Hamilton from February 13. 

The Blackcaps insist they'll treat South Africa's understrength test squad with the utmost respect, when they arrive in New Zealand later this month.

With their first-choice players unavailable due to their domestic T20 competition, a team with just 50 caps between them has been named.

The move has been widely criticised but Blackcaps coach Gary Stead's not having a bar of it and has a message for those writing them off.

Put simply, South Africa's dominated New Zealand in test cricket. Twenty-six wins from 47 matches, including their 2013 humiliation of the New Zealanders, dismissing them for just 45 runs in the first innings of the opening test in Cape Town.

In fact, the Blackcaps have only won beaten the Proteas a grand total of five times.

All of the above considered, Stead's sticking to the facts as he contemplates what's ahead. 

"We've never beaten South Africa in a test series ever," said Stead. 

South Africa's won 12 of the 16 previous contests between the two nations, while there have been four drawn series.

"We're certainly not going to be taking them lightly and neither will our team," he added. 

Cricket South Africa might be prioritizing their own T20 competition, hence naming their understrength squad. 

Instead, Stead is focusing on a chance to create history.

 "Here's an opportunity, in two tests in a month or so that's in front of us, that we will be looking forward to and we will be doing our best to win each test match, as we do every time."

And the man he succeeded in the role - Mike Hesson - says they've got no choice.

"I'm a huge fan of test cricket and I love it," Hesson told Newshub."But the reality is, it needs to get funds from somewhere else to survive" 

Followed his six-year tenure as Blackcaps coach, Hesson spent nearly a decade in Twenty20 franchise cricket - mostly in India.

"You're going to have to find ways to co-exist and every country's got to find their own way."

"It's hard when there's different competitions on but I think that's the reality of the current world at the moment." 

The first of two tests against the Proteas starts at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval on February 4, with the second scheduled for Hamilton from February 13. 

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