Tim Southee will take over as Test captain for New Zealand in lieu of Kane Williamson for the upcoming tour of Pakistan. Kane Williamson stepped down as Test captain, however, he will continue to captain New Zealand in ODIs and T20Is while Tom Latham will be the vice-captain of the NZ team in Test cricket.
The 32-year-old Kane Williamson claimed in a statement that he took the call, thought about how to manage his workload, and spoke with the NZC. The fast bowler Tim Southee will lead New Zealand on their tour of Pakistan later in December as the country’s 31st Test captain. From December 26 to January 13, the BlackCaps will play two tests and three one-day internationals in Pakistan.
6-year rich legacy comes to an end
Six years after taking over for Brendon McCullum as New Zealand’s Test captain, Kane Williamson’s stint comes to an end. In 38 Tests, he guided the squad to 22 wins, the biggest of which came in the 2021 World Test Championship final.
Although Southee has captained New Zealand in 22 Twenty20 internationals, his first Test captaincy will come later in December. As the top hitter who captained the BlackCaps in Test matches, Williamson leaves behind a significant legacy. He scored 11 hundred while serving as captain, 8 of which came in victories, and he averaged 57.
Why Williamson stepped down as Test captain?
Williamson explained why he chose to leave the Test captaincy and stay in charge of white-ball cricket, claiming that the increased workload was a factor.
“Captaining the BlackCaps in Test cricket has been an incredibly special honour. For me, Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game and I’ve enjoyed the challenges of leading the side in the format,” Williamson said.
“Captaincy comes with an increased workload on and off the field and at this stage of my career I feel the time is right for this decision.
“After discussions with NZC, we felt that continuing to captain the white-ball formats was preferable with two World Cups in the next two years.
“I’m excited to support Tim as captain and Tom as vice-captain. Having played with both of them for most of my career, I’m confident they’ll do a great job,” he added.
Looking forward on building team
Southee, who has played in 88 Tests and taken 347 wickets, says he is eager to captain the BlackCaps in Test matches.
“It’s been a surreal few days and it’s just a massive honour to be appointed as Test captain,” he said.
“I love Test cricket, it’s the ultimate challenge and I’m really excited by the opportunity to lead the team in this format.
“Kane’s been an outstanding Test captain and I’m looking forward to working with Gary on how we can build on that.”
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