Kane Williamson resigns from New Zealand captaincy
New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson refused a central contract for the 2024-25 year but stressed his long-term commitment to the Blackcaps. New Zealand Cricket on Wednesday released a statement confirming that the veteran batsman has opted out of a central contract for the 2024-25 season. There was speculation over Williamson's future after New Zealand's early exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup.
The 33-year-old, who played 358 matches for the Kiwis in his decorated career, opted out of the contract list and limited-overs captaincy to pursue his international career.
“Helping the team progress across all formats is something I am very passionate about and I want to contribute to that. However, the opportunity to play overseas during the New Zealand summer means I am unable to accept a central contract offer,” Williamson was quoted as saying in a New Zealand Cricket statement.
New Zealand's schedule for the 2024-25 season will not be busy as the Kiwis have minimal bilateral series commitments until January.
But Williamson will be available for the eight World Test Championship matches, with New Zealand once again looking to make the final, which will be played at Lord's in June next year.
In late November, New Zealand will play the first Test of a three-match series against England on home soil.
But before he embarks on the WTC journey, Williamson is happy to have found a way to strike a balance between his personal and professional life as he continues to strive to play for his country.
“Playing for New Zealand is very precious to me and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished. However my life outside of cricket has changed – spending more time with my family and enjoying experiences with them at home and abroad is even more important to me,” he said.
NZC CEO Scott Wennink praised Williamson's contributions and felt his veteran star had earned the right to take some time off to pursue other goals, including family-oriented priorities.
“This is a great way to help keep Kane in the international game, so that he continues to play a major role for the Blackcaps – now and in the years to come. We have very little international cricket in New Zealand until January, and outside of that period he is still available for the Blackcaps,” Wennink said.
He said, “The New Zealand Cricket Board (NZC) prefers to select centrally contracted players for the Blackcaps, however, we are happy to make an exception for our greatest batsman – especially because of his commitment to the team. I know it sounds a bit contradictory, but I am very excited by this development.”
New Zealand concluded their T20 World Cup campaign with a stunning 7-wicket win over Papua New Guinea.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Topics mentioned in this article