New national coach Gary Stead is getting his feet wet as the New Zealand squad assembled in Christchurch, for their first training session ahead of the upcoming tour to the United Arab Emirates, where they will play Pakistan.
A former Blackcap himself, Stead was appointed to the top job in the wake of Mike Hesson's unexpected departure in June.
Stead is understood to be of similar character to Hesson, and has built a winning culture at Canterbury, that included the Ford Trophy-winning season of 2017.
The 46-year-old reiterated on Wednesday that Blackcaps fans shouldn't expect any drastic changes to an already successful formula.
"A lot of the build-up to the World Cup has been in place in the last two or three years, so I think it would be stupid of me to come in and try and change that too much," Stead told media.
"There has been a fair amount of success in the team, I'm sure that I'll have some ideas that might challenge current thinking and I think that is a good thing at any time of the year."
With the start-up Test Championship set to launch in July when New Zealand visit Sri Lanka, the Pakistan series will be Stead's final opportunity to assess his players in foreign conditions.
The Blackcaps play three tests against the sub-continent country beginning November 16, which follows three Twenty 20's and three ODI's.
"I see it as our last chance to get really tested in overseas conditions before we play Sri Lanka in the Test Championship which is in about nine months time," Stead said.
"For us, the learning around that and how we go about playing spin in particular and the reverse swinging ball are probably two of the really key things."
The former White Ferns coach also has a Cricket World Cup on the horizon.
The tournament, held in Wales and England, kicks off in May 2019.
Stead said it is a very important tour given the clock is ticking down quickly on New Zealand's chance to rectify a loss in the 2015 final against Australia.
"Try and play our best cricket and we try and learn from it as well, ultimately with a big eye to the World Cup."
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