Kane Williamson steps down as New Zealand Test captain; Tim Southee replaces him

Wellington, Dec 15: New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson on Thursday (December 15) relinquished Test captaincy and Tim Southee will replace him.

Williamson, however, will continue to lead the Blackcaps in the limited-overs format keeping two white-ball World Cups in mind.

The right-handed batter - who was appointed the captain of the side in 2016 after Brendon McCullum stepped down - led New Zealand in 38 Tests and won 22 of them.

Williamson took NZ to the pinnacle of Test Cricket

The 32-year-old led New Zealand to the ICC Test Championships victory in 2021 when his team defeated India in the Final. Under Williamson's leadership, the Blackcaps have had some of the best moments in Test cricket.

"Captaining the BLACKCAPS in Test cricket has been an incredibly special honour," Williamson said. "For me, Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game and I've enjoyed the challenges of leading the side in the format.

To continue as white-ball skipper

"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," Williamson added.

NZC hails Williamson

New Zealand Cricket CEO David White paid tribute to Williamson and reckoned Williamson will play for 'as long as possible' was the priority.

"Kane is one of our all-time greats and our priority is to ensure he enjoys his cricket and plays for New Zealand for as long as possible. He's a brilliant leader and the success the team has achieved during his time in the longest and arguably toughest format of the game, has been nothing short of remarkable," White said.

Head coach Gary Stead echoed those thoughts when he said: "Kane's guided the Test team through an immensely successful period which is a testament to his ability to bring people together and work towards a common goal."

"We hope by lessening his workload we can continue to see the best of Kane Williamson for longer on the international stage, and we know he will remain a key leader in this group."

Responsibility for Tim Southee

Southee has often led the side in the absence of Williamson - albeit in the T20 format - will take over the job in the red ball format with the upcoming Test tour of Pakistan.
Wicketkeeper batter Tom Latham, who has captained the side in Williamson's absence, has been named Southee's deputy in Tests.