Rob Walter has been officially named as the new head coach for New Zealand's cricket team, taking charge across all three formats of the game. The 49-year-old former South Africa white-ball coach has inked a three-year contract and is set to commence his role in mid-June, just ahead of New Zealand's scheduled tour of Zimbabwe.

Walter's contract extends through to the next One-Day International World Cup in 2027. It also covers the subsequent two T20 World Cups, slated for 2026 and 2028. Furthermore, there is a possibility that New Zealand will participate in cricket's debut at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, which will feature the T20 format, falling within Walter's tenure.

Walter was considered a strong candidate for the position, particularly as it was known that he had continued to reside in New Zealand while fulfilling his coaching duties with South Africa. During his time with the South African team, he achieved significant success.

Under his guidance, South Africa reached the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they were narrowly defeated by India by a margin of seven runs. In addition to this near victory, Walter also steered the team to the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.

In a press conference announcing his appointment, Walter expressed his enthusiasm: "The Blackcaps have been a successful and highly-regarded team on the world scene for some time now and it's a real privilege to be given the chance to add to that." He added, "It's an amazing opportunity to work with such a talented group of players and support staff through a period of time in which so many global events, as well as massive bilateral series, will be contested. I just can't wait to get started. It's exciting, it's challenging and the opportunity is enormous for everyone."