Cricket

'I'm not crying' - Twitter pays tribute to Kane Williamson as he steps down from Test captaincy

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson gave up his Test captaincy with Tim Southee set to replace him on Pakistan tour.

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Daniel S
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Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson (Source: Twitter)

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson gave up his Test captaincy on Thursday with Fast bowler Tim Southee set to replace him. Williamson, however, will continue to lead the Blackcaps in the limited-overs formats as there are two World Cups lined up in the next two years. The 32-year-old was appointed the captain of the side in 2016 after Brendon McCullum stepped down.

Under his leadership, New Zealand won the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 when his team defeated India in the Final. Williamson led New Zealand in 40 Tests and won 22 of them with a win percentage of 55 while losing 10 and drawing 8 matches.

"Captaining the BLACKCAPS in Test cricket has been an incredibly special honour," Williamson said. "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," Williamson added.

New Zealand Cricket CEO David White paid tribute to Williamson and reckoned Williamson will play for 'as long as possible' was the priority.

"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. 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," White said.

He will remain a key leader in this group : Gary Stead

Head coach Gary Stead echoed White’s thoughts and said: "Kane's guided the Test team through an immensely successful period which is a testament to his ability to bring people together and work towards a common goal."

"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."

Tim Southee will take over the job in the red ball format with the upcoming Test tour of Pakistan. Wicketkeeper batter Tom Latham, who has captained the side in Williamson's absence, has been named Southee's deputy in Tests.

Meanwhile, Twitter was abuzz with reactions on Williamson’s captaincy as he relinquished the position. Here are some of the best Tweets:

 

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