Kane Williamson Captaincy: Williamson steps down as Test captain, Tim Southee TAKES up leadership mantle: Follow LIVE

Kane Williamson Captaincy – NewZealand Squad Pakistan Series: After holding the leadership role in all-formats for a considerable amount of time, NewZealand skipper Kane Williamson has stepped down from the captaincy responsibility in Tests. Williamson has captained the Test team on 38 occasions (22 wins, 8 draws, 10 losses) since assuming the role from Brendon McCullum in 2016. Tim Southee will take up the leadership mantle for BlackCaps in Tests. Follow NewZealand Cricket LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN

Williamson led the Kiwi side 193 times in 333 games across all formats and is one of their most celebrated skippers. NZ have won 99 games when he’s been in charge.

Kane Williamson will continue to lead the BLACKCAPS in ODI and T20I cricket and has reiterated his desire to play all three formats internationally.

Tim Southee, who has 346 internationals to his name and has led the T20 side on 22 occasions, will become New Zealand’s 31st Test captain when he leads the team on this month’s Test tour to Pakistan.

Statistically, Williamson is the most successful Test captain NZ ever had – which culminated in the team rising to the number one ICC Test ranking at the start of 2021 and the eventual victory in the ICC World Test Championship Final in June that year against India.

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Kane Williamson Captaincy: BIG change in NZ Cricket, Williamson steps down as captain, Tim Southee TAKES up leadership mantle – Follow LIVE Updates

Kane Williamson will step down as captain of the BLACKCAPS Test side, with Tim Southee to take up the leadership mantle. Tom Latham has been confirmed as Test vice-captain, after previously leading the side in Williamson’s absence. #CricketNation https://t.co/D9rPWUl05d

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 14, 2022

Canterbury opener Tom Latham has been confirmed as Test vice-captain, after previously leading the side in Williamson’s absence.

Williamson to quit captaincy

Williamson said the time was right to step back.’

“Captaining the BLACKCAPS in Test cricket has been an incredibly special honour,” he said.

“For me, Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game and I’ve enjoyed the challenges of leading the side in the format. 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,” the batter added.

“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. Playing for the BLACKCAPS and contributing in all three formats is my number one priority and I’m looking forward to the cricket we have ahead,” he concluded.

Captaincy Facts

Kane Williamson

40 Tests as captain. Won 22, drawn eight, lost 10
Averaged 57 as captain. Only M Crowe (54) has also averaged 50 or more as captain for NZ.
In those 22 Test wins as captain, Williamson averaged 79 with eight centuries.
Williamson’s 11 hundreds as captain is a NZ record.
Of all players who have captained in 40 Tests or more, only Brian Lara has a higher average as captain than Williamson – and only just (57.83 v 57.43)

Tim Southee

22 T20Is as captain. Won 13, lost nine (three Super Overs)
Southee will be just the second specialist pace bowler to be officially appointed as NZ Test captain after Harry Cave (tour of Pakistan & India 1955). Dion Nash stood in for Stephen Fleming in
three Tests in 1998-99.

NewZealand Squad Pakistan Series: Meanwhile, New Zeland have brought back leg spinner Ish Sodhi into their Test squad for the upcoming tour of Pakistan, where they play two Tests and three ODIs. Sodhi last featured in the longest format in November 2018.

Despite a strong first-class record – 279 wickets in 88 games – Sodhi has been more of a T20I lynchpin for New Zealand, recently joining the 100-wickets club in the format.

He returns with a chance to rekindle his Test career in a series under TEST Captaincy of Tim Southee.

New Zealand squad: Tim Southee (c), Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell (wk),Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

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