New Zealand batting legend and former captain Kane Williamson has announced his immediate retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a remarkable 16-year career.
The 35-year-old was part of New Zealand’s squad for the ongoing Test series against England but will not feature in the remaining two matches following his decision.
In his statement, Williamson said he had been considering retirement for some time and recently felt that the moment was right to step away from international cricket.
He added that representing New Zealand had always been a privilege and that he had given his best in every match.
Williamson retires as New Zealand’s highest run-scorer in Test cricket, having accumulated 9,515 runs in 110 Test matches.
He also scored 7,256 runs in One-Day Internationals and 2,575 runs in Twenty20 Internationals during his distinguished career.
One of the highlights of his career was leading New Zealand to its first World Test Championship title in 2021.
As captain, Williamson guided New Zealand to multiple finals and semi-finals in major international tournaments and earned widespread respect for his leadership.
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter described Williamson as a great player, an outstanding leader and one of the finest ambassadors of the game.
