Kane Williamson has stepped down as New Zealand Test captain, handing the reigns over to veteran paceman Tim Southee ahead of the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
On Thursday morning, New Zealand Cricket confirmed reports that Williamson had decided to relinquish the captaincy duties in the five-day format, citing increased workloads.
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The 32-year-old, named Black Caps skipper across formats following Brendon McCullum’s retirement in 2016, will remain captain of the national ODI and T20 teams.
New Zealand opener Tom Latham has been named vice-captain.
“Captaining the Black Caps in Test cricket has been an incredibly special honour,” Williamson said in a statement.
“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.
“Playing for the Black Caps and contributing in all three formats is my number one priority and I’m looking forward to the cricket we have ahead.”
Williamson has led New Zealand in 40 Tests since 2016, winning 22 matches and losing 10 during his tenure.
He guided the Black Caps to a World Test Championship triumph in 2021, defeating India by eight wickets in Southampton last year.
Williamson averaged 57.43 with the bat during his reign — only West Indies legend Brian Lara boasts a higher Test average as skipper, of all players who have captained at least 40 matches.
“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,” NZC chief executive David White said in a statement.
“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.
“Tim’s a strong and tactically astute leader and has a good feel for the game. I believe he is the right person to build on the foundations that Kane’s created.”
Black Caps captain Gary Stead said: “Kane’s guided the Test team through an immensely successful period which is testament to his ability to bring people together and work towards a common goal.
“He’s certainly led from the front with his own performances and that was very much the case during our push to win the World Test Championship.
“The Test team has continued to evolve and develop during his time and the fact we’ve been able to introduce new players and see them thrive almost instantly is a credit to Kane and his leadership.
“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.”
Southee, who has represented the Black Caps in 88 Tests since 2008, will become New Zealand’s 31st Test captain later this month.
The 34-year-old joins Australian skipper Pat Cummins as the only other front-line pace bowler currently leading a Test team.
“It’s been a surreal few days and it’s just a massive honour to be appointed as Test captain,” Southee said.
“I love Test cricket, it’s the ultimate challenge and I’m really excited by the opportunity to lead the team in this format.
“Kane’s been an outstanding Test captain and I’m looking forward to working with Gary on how we can build on that.”
The first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand gets underway in Karachi on Boxing Day, with the opening delivery scheduled for 4pm AEDT.
It marks the first time New Zealand has toured Pakistan since 2003.
