Kane Williamson quits captaincy, declines New Zealand Cricket central contract

New Zealand batter Kane Williamson declined the central contract for the 202425 year but emphasised his longterm commitment to the BlackcapsNew Zealand Cricket on Wednesday released a statement to confirm that the veteran batter opted out of the central contract for the 202425 seasonSpeculations were building around Williamsons future after New Zealand suffered a heartbreak following an early exit in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024With 358 appearances for the Kiwis in his decorated career the 33yearold opted out of the contract list and whiteball captaincy in a bid to extend his international careerHelping push the team forward across the formats is something Im very passionate about and something I want to keep contributing towards However pursuing an overseas opportunity during the New Zealand summer means Im unable to accept a central contract offer Williamson said as quoted from a statement by New Zealand CricketAlso ReadHorror of horrorsNew Zealands schedule for the 202425 season wont be hectic as the Kiwis have minimal bilateral series commitments till the January windowBut Williamson will remain available for the eight World Test Championship matches that New Zealand will engage in in a bid to once again play in the final which will be played next year at the Lords in JuneIn November end New Zealand will play the first Test of the threematch series against England on home soilBut before they embark on their WTC journey Williamson is pleased to find a way to balance his personal and professional life as he continues to strive to play for his nationPlaying for New Zealand is something I treasure and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished My life outside cricket has changed however spending more time with my family and enjoying experiences with them at home or abroad is something thats even more important to me he addedNZC CEO Scott Weenink acknowledged Williamsons contributions and feels that their experienced star had earned the right to take some time off to pursue other goals which included familyoriented prioritiesThis is a good way to help keep Kane in the international game so that he continues to play a major role for the BLACKCAPS both now and in the years to come We have very little international cricket in New Zealand through January and outside that period hes still available for the BLACKCAPS Weenink saidNZC has a strong preference to select centrally contracted players for the BLACKCAPS however were happy to make an exception for our greatestever batter especially as he remains so committed to the team I know it sounds a bit counterintuitive but Im very encouraged by this development he addedNew Zealand concluded their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a convincing 7wicket win over Papua New GuineaWith agency inputs