From Canterbury to Andhra: Gary Stead and Justin Paul’s 34-year cricketing bond
Former New Zealand U-19 teammates reunite in India, where Paul is documenting Stead’s journey as Andhra’s head coach, three decades after their first tour together.
Two decades before Cameron Paul made a memorable catch for New Zealand A against India A, his fathers, Justin Paul and Gary Stead, stood alongside one another for New Zealand's U-19 team on a tour of India. The fathers, both cricket enthusiasts, shared a bond that continued for three decades through the careers of their sons, Gary in cricket and Justin in education.
Recently, Justin found himself in India once again, this time as coach and chronicler of Gary's experiences in the Ranji Trophy. The opportunity was serendipitous, stemming from a conversation over a cup of coffee. Justin, impressed by Gary's story of transitioning from international cricket to coaching in India's domestic circuit, offered to document it.
Timing aligned with Justin's redundancy and a media travel grant, while a recent trade agreement between the two nations provided the perfect backdrop for their story. Their friendship, rooted in their shared cricketing past, has only grown stronger with time.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
