'Aggressive' replacement named after shock exit

1 year ago 90

Kane Williamson has stepped down arsenic New Zealand Test cricket skipper aft a tenure that was the astir palmy of immoderate Black Caps skipper.

Williamson led New Zealand successful 40 Tests and compiled a grounds 22 wins, 10 losses and 8 draws implicit six years.

He guided New Zealand to triumph past twelvemonth successful the inaugural World Test Championship.

His 55 per cent triumph complaint exceeded the 44 per cent grounds of his regular stand-in Tom Latham and the 35.5 per cent grounds of existent England manager Brendon McCullum, whom helium succeeded successful 2016.

Fast bowler Tim Southee volition instrumentality implicit arsenic skipper of the Test squad portion the 32-year-old Williamson volition proceed to play arsenic a specializer batter.

Williamson besides volition proceed to skipper New Zealand successful some achromatic shot formats.

Williamson tons up again

"Captaincy comes with an accrued workload connected and disconnected the tract and astatine this signifier of my vocation I consciousness the clip is close for the decision," Williamson said.

"After discussions with New Zealand Cricket, we felt that continuing to skipper the achromatic shot formats was preferable with 2 World Cups successful the adjacent 2 years."

Southee, who volition go New Zealand's 31st Test captain, volition pb New Zealand successful 2 Tests against Pakistan aboriginal this month.

He antecedently has captained New Zealand successful 22 T20 internationals.

Head manager Gary Stead praised Williamson's publication arsenic captain.

"Kane has guided the Test squad done an immensely palmy play which is testament to his quality to bring radical unneurotic and enactment towards a communal goal," Stead said.

"He's surely led from the beforehand with his ain performances and that was precise overmuch the lawsuit during our propulsion to triumph the World Test Championship."

The determination could assistance prolong Williamson's planetary career, Stead said.

"We anticipation by lessening his workload we tin proceed to spot the champion of Kane Williamson for longer connected the planetary signifier and we cognize helium volition stay a cardinal person successful this group," helium said.

Stead said Southee has a "good cricket brain".

"We've seen his captaincy skills connected show with the T20 broadside and I'm definite he'll proceed to bring an assertive style, portion inactive maintaining the halfway fundamentals of however this Black Caps squad operates successful the Test arena," helium said.

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