Xtra Time Web Desk: Kane Williamson will step down as captain of the BLACKCAPS Test side, with Tim Southee to take up the leadership mantle. Williamson will continue to lead New Zealand in ODI and T20I cricket 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.
Canterbury opener Tom Latham has been confirmed as Test vice-captain, after previously leading the side in Williamson’s absence.
Williamson has captained the Test team on 38 occasions (22 wins, 8 draws, 10 losses) since assuming the role from Brendon McCullum in 2016.
Speaking about his decision Williamson said it was the right time to step down.
“Captaining the BLACKCAPS in Test cricket has been an incredibly special honour. 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.” said Kane Williamson
He 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.