Kane Williamson has stepped down from the position of Test captaincy with Tim Southee being named as his successor. He will continue to lead the team in ODIs and T20Is and has reiterated his desire to play all three formats internationally. 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.
Meanwhile, Tom Latham has been named his deputy and has led New Zealand in the absence of Kane Williamson in the past. Williamson has captained the Test team on 38 occasions (22 wins, 8 draws, 10 losses) since assuming the role from Brendon McCullum in 2016.
He 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.
“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.
Williamson signs off as skipper having led New Zealand to 22 wins in 40 Test matches.
