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New Zealand Cricket has been handed a massive blow ahead of the Test series against Pakistan. New Zealand is set to travel to Pakistan for a two-match Test series, starting 26 December 2022. Veteran skipper Kane Williamson has stepped down from Test captaincy as the side named the squad for the Test series.
Williamson has been the Test captain for six long years. Tim Southee will take the charge as the skipper for the Pakistan tour. However, the World Test Championship winning captain will continue to lead the side as ODI and T20I captain. The 32-year-old has reiterated his desire to keep playing all three formats of the game.
“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,” Williamson said.
“Captaining comes with 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”, he added.
Talking about Williamson’s stint as Test captain, the 35-year-old has led the Kiwis in 40 Tests, winning 22 of them while losing ten. Eight games ended in raw in the 40 Tests he captained.
New Zealand squad for Pakistan Test series announced
Ish Sodhi has been recalled for the Test series, after last playing his last match in whites four years ago. The tour will also be Tim Southee’s first assignment as Test skipper.
New Zealand squad for Test series: Tim Southee (C), Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young
