Reports state that New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will reportedly relinquish control of one of the three formats in advance of the Blackcaps’ upcoming Pakistan tour. The pro player assumed control over the side in 2016 following Brendon McCullum’s retirement.
WELLINGTON: Kane Williamson on Thursday ventured down as New Zealand Test commander. The 32-year-old led the New Zealand team to victory in the inaugural World Test Championship for more than six years.
On the other hand, Williamson will continue to lead the ODI and T20 teams.
Williamson will be replaced in the longest format by veteran fast bowler Tim Southee, according to the New Zealand cricket board.
Under Kane’s authority, New Zealand arrived at the highest point of the Test rankings prior to arising as victors of the ICC Test Title, beating India in the last in June last year.
Williamson, who has led New Zealand since 2016, said, “Captaining the Black Caps in Test cricket has been an incredibly special honor.” Williamson is 32 years old.
He stated that, with two World Cups coming up in the next two years, he would remain captain of the white-ball team following discussions with New Zealand Cricket.
Additionally, he will keep playing in all three formats.
Williamson leaves as captain after leading New Zealand to 22 victories in 40 Test matches.
A New Zealand captain’s record of 11 of his 24 Test hundreds came while he was captain.
Southee, 34, will lead the team during their upcoming tour of Pakistan, which begins on December 26 in Karachi and ends on January 3 in Multan.
Williamson is expected to announce his resignation as captain of one format on Thursday, December 16, in Christchurch, according to a report from the New Zealand media outlet 1 News.
The management is also expected to announce the touring team for Pakistan’s two Tests and three One-Day Internationals.
New Zealand won the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) under Williamson’s leadership. He has also led the team to the knockout stages of ICC competitions on multiple occasions, including appearances in the finals of the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup and the 2021 T20 World Cup.
The player’s current workload is causing management concerns. It is believed that the veteran captain will retire from either T20I or Test cricket. Keeping the ODI World Cup in a year’s time at the top of the priority list, a captaincy change in the 50-over design appears to be impossible.
Additionally, the ace batter’s form has been impacted by the burden of leading New Zealand across formats for an extended period of time. After suffering a recurring elbow injury, he has particularly struggled.
Tom Latham and Tim Southee have led New Zealand when Kane Williamson hasn’t been playing
When Williamson hasn’t been playing because of an injury or because of managing his workload, senior stalwarts Tom Latham and Tim Southee have shared leadership responsibilities.
Latham has led the New Zealand Test team on several occasions, including the tour of India last year and the home series against South Africa at the beginning of 2022.
Senior pace bowler Southee, on the other hand, has been given the responsibility of leading the T20I team. He led the team in the third T20I against India when the regular skipper was unable to play because of a planned medical examination.