Kane Williamson Steps Down As New Zealand's White-Ball Captain
Kane Williamson has stepped down as New Zealand's captain in both ODIs and T20Is, while also declining a central contract. New Zealand had a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, exiting at the group stage after losing their opening two games against Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea.
Williamson played his 100th Test earlier this year, leading New Zealand in 40 of those. He has 165 ODI caps and 93 T20I caps. As captain, he led New Zealand to the World Test Championship title in 2021 and to the finals in the ODI World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2021, both of which they lost.
With hopes of prolonging his international career, the 33-year-old explained his decision to decline the contract for 2024-25. "Helping push the team forward across the formats is something I'm very passionate about and something I want to keep contributing towards," Williamson said in a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) release.
However, pursuing an overseas opportunity during the New Zealand summer means he's unable to accept a central contract offer. Ahead of last season, Williamson had given up his Test captaincy, with Tim Southee appointed as his successor.
Despite not taking the offer of a central contract, he has not ruled out signing one in the future if the timing is right. "Playing for New Zealand is something I treasure, and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished. My life outside cricket has changed, however. Spending more time with my family and enjoying experiences with them at home or abroad is something that's even more important to me," Williamson added.
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