Kane Williamson said the intention to play in next year’s SA20 was the catalyst behind him declining the New Zealand central contract, but reaffirmed his commitment to play for his country in all three formats outside of the T20 league. The SA20 is scheduled between January 9 and February 8, 2025, which clashes with the dates of the Super Smash in New Zealand. As per NZ rules, a player has to play in Super Smash if they are not on an international assignment to be eligible for a central contract.

“I want to play as long as I can. There’s a number of great competitions during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting. Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract,” Williamson told reporters upon his arrival in New Zealand from the T20 World Cup, where his side failed to enter the Super Eight stage.

Consequently, Williamson had also stepped down from the Kiwis’ captaincy in white-ball formats but the elegant right-hander insisted that his international career was far from over.

“My priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand. Think I might miss maybe a handful of games over a three-week period,” he added.

It meant that Williamson would miss the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka in January next year.

But he will be available for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September, besides the WTC matches against India and Sri Lanka away and the three-match series against England at home.

“It’s simply the contract, the rules that currently exist meant I wasn’t able to have one but in terms of playing for New Zealand I’m not missing almost any cricket really, so that was important to me,” he said.

Williamson said he was eagerly waiting to see how the leadership role of New Zealand evolves in white ball formats.

“I’ve really, really enjoyed my time captaining and it’s been a privilege and an honour to do that for a number of years.

“I’m excited with what’s next for the team in terms of the leadership as well and looking forward to being part of that,” he added.

The 33-year-old also did not attach any time-frame to his career, saying he was taking it one year at a time.

“In terms of a timeframe, it’s difficult to say. I want to keep being fit, doing as well as I can, keep trying to improve. All major events and key series are things that whet the appetite and are an exciting prospect.

“But being part of this team is so dear to me and I want to remain in that community as long as I can, and as long as I’m offering value,” he said.

Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan rarely minces his words, and it was no different as he suggested that New Zealand stalwart Kane Williamson will never be a player who can bat at an explosive strike rate. The critique comes after New Zealand bowed out of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the group stage. Williamson scored just 28 runs in the tournament, at a strike rate of 87.50, and gave up captaincy following New Zealand’s exit. Michael Vaughan has now advised Williamson to take inspiration from one of his contemporaries, Virat Kohli, on how to remodel his T20 game.

“Look at Virat Kohli in IPL 2024. He went from the Virat in previous years to the modern 2024 player by going for it, being expansive, particularly against spin. It was tremendous to see,” said Vaughan, speaking on Cricbuzz.

“Kane Williamson will never be a batter who strikes at 200. If he can up his strike rate by 15-20 per cent, and get to a strike rate of 140-150, he would be the glue for New Zealand and whatever franchise he plays for,” said Vaughan.

Kohli, at the age of 35, piled up 741 runs at a strike rate of 154 in IPL 2024, winning his second Orange Cap in the process.

Williamson is no stranger to the Orange Cap either, having won it in 2018, when he smashed 735 runs at a strike rate of 142. However, six years on, Williamson’s offensive game seems to be on the decline.

However, Williamson’s New Zealand future in T20Is is up in the air. The 33-year-old quit captaincy and declined a central contract, hinting at overseas priorities and wanting to spend more time with his family.

Failure to qualify for the Super 8 means that New Zealand is also not guaranteed direct qualification to the 2024 T20 World Cup.

New Zealand batter Kane Williamson declined the central contract for the 2024-25 year but emphasised his long-term commitment to the Blackcaps. New Zealand Cricket on Wednesday released a statement to confirm that the veteran batter opted out of the central contract for the 2024-25 season. Speculations were building around Williamson’s future after New Zealand suffered a heartbreak following an early exit in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

With 358 appearances for the Kiwis in his decorated career, the 33-year-old opted out of the contract list and white-ball captaincy in a bid to extend his international career.

“Helping push the team forward across the formats is something I’m very passionate about and something I want to keep contributing towards. However, pursuing an overseas opportunity during the New Zealand summer means I’m unable to accept a central contract offer,” Williamson said as quoted from a statement by New Zealand Cricket.

New Zealand’s schedule for the 2024-25 season won’t be hectic as the Kiwis have minimal bilateral series commitments till the January window.

But 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 Lord’s in June.

In November end, New Zealand will play the first Test of the three-match series against England on home soil.

But 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 nation.

“Playing 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 that’s even more important to me,” he added.

NZC CEO Scott Weenink acknowledged Williamson’s contributions and feels that their experienced star had earned the right to take some time off to pursue other goals, which included family-oriented priorities.

“This 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 he’s still available for the BLACKCAPS,” Weenink said.

“NZC has a strong preference to select centrally contracted players for the BLACKCAPS, however, we’re happy to make an exception for our greatest-ever batter – especially as he remains so committed to the team. I know it sounds a bit counterintuitive, but I’m very encouraged by this development,” he added.

New Zealand concluded their T20 World Cup campaign with a convincing 7-wicket win over Papua New Guinea.

Following New Zealand’s unexpected group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup, captain Kane Williamson expressed the need for his team to regroup and recover, but he remained non-committal about the 2026 edition of the T20 showpiece. Williamson has been a pivotal figure in New Zealand cricket for over a decade, leading his side through numerous successful campaigns. However, pacer Trent Boult having already announced his retirement from T20 World Cups, Williamson hinted at a possible changing of the guard within the team.

“Oh, I don’t know. There’s a bit of time between now and then, so it’s about regrouping as a side. We’ve got red-ball cricket over the next year basically, so it’s back into some other international formats, and we’ll see where things land,” said Williamson in the post-match press conference.

Since his debut, Williamson has been instrumental in New Zealand reaching the semifinals in seven out of the ten World Cups he has played across both 20- and 50-over formats since 2011.

This remarkable journey included three final appearances, with standout personal performances such as being named Player of the Tournament in the 2019 World Cup in England and scoring an impressive 85 from 48 balls in the 2021 T20 World Cup final against Australia.

Reflecting on New Zealand’s recent campaign, Williamson admitted that his team had been slow to adapt to the challenging conditions in the Caribbean, where they faced strong performances from Afghanistan and the West Indies in a tough Group C.

“It took a long time to start and then, in a matter of days, we were not in contention, which was frustrating,” he said. “We played against a couple of very strong sides who are very well equipped in these conditions and unfortunately that was the difference in our first two games.”

Despite the disappointment, Williamson remained optimistic about the future. “All in all it’s frustrating, but there’ll be learnings for the players that come back to this part of the world. These conditions have been somewhat challenging, so they are some good experiences to have going forward.”

New Zealand vs Uganda, T20 World Cup 2024 LIVE Updates© X (formerly Twitter)

Two-time champions and co-hosts West Indies are grouped with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. West Indies and New Zealand are the top-ranked teams in Group C, but will face strong resistance from Afghanistan, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea as they aim to make it through to the second round. West Indies will be aiming for a record third T20 World Cup title, and are in great form in the lead-up to the tournament. Uganda will make their debut on the global stage, and will look to pull off further miracles in their romantic journey.

West Indies:

A series victory against defending champions, England, towards the end of last year revealed how dangerous a full-strength West Indies side can be. Despite their lacklustre performance in the 2022 edition, the Rovman Powell-led side poses a major threat this time around.

They are well covered in all departments with several all-rounders and big-hitters, capable of swinging games. The surprise inclusion in their squad for the tournament was Shamar Joseph, uncapped in T20Is until featuring against South Africa recently, but a supreme talent in the making as he showed in Australia during the Test series at the start of the year.

West Indies also get a fairly easier start to the tournament with games against the lower-ranked teams in the group, PNG and Uganda. If they start well, the co-hosts will be favourites to top the group.

Squad:

Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

Fixtures:

Sun, 2 June 2024 – West Indies v Papua New Guinea, Guyana, 10:30 AM LOCAL

Sat, 8 June 2024 – West Indies v Uganda, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Wed, 12 June 2024 – West Indies v New Zealand, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – West Indies v Afghanistan, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCAL

New Zealand:

New Zealand made very little change from the 2022 edition to this one with their squad selection. It highlights the consistency in selection on the one hand, and also how well-rounded the Blackcaps unit is.

The team is also well prepared for the event with 36 T20Is under their belt since the end of the last T20 World Cup, the most among full-member teams.

The depth of talent at their disposal was evident in the recent T20I series in Pakistan, where a second-string squad managed to level the series.

Kane Williamson, who will be playing his sixth T20 World Cup, will lead a strong side that has a wealth of experience alongside the exuberance of youth in the likes of Rachin Ravindra, who sizzled with the bat in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and the exciting Finn Allen.

Veterans Trent Boult and Tim Southee will lead the pace attack, which also has Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry. There are ample options in the spin department too with Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Michael Bracewell, and Ravindra.

New Zealand open their campaign against Afghanistan in Guyana and then take on co-hosts West Indies in Trinidad.

Squad:

Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears

Fixtures:

Fri, 7 June 2024 – New Zealand v Afghanistan, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Wed, 12 June 2024 – New Zealand v West Indies, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Fri, 14 June 2024 – New Zealand v Uganda, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – New Zealand v Papua New Guinea, Trinidad, 10:30 AM LOCAL

Afghanistan:

Afghanistan are ranked 10th in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, but are more than capable of pulling off big wins.

They recorded series victories against UAE (twice), Pakistan and Ireland since the end of the last T20 World Cup and also reached the final of the Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition, where they lost to India.

The squad is boosted by the return of Rashid Khan after the leg-spinner’s long injury layoff. He leads a versatile spin department that also has the likes of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Nangyal Kharoti and veteran Mohammad Nabi.

Afghanistan begin their campaign against Uganda in Guyana on June 3.

Squad:

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi

Fixtures:

Mon, 3 June 2024 – Afghanistan v Uganda, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Fri, 7 June 2024 – Afghanistan v New Zealand, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Thur, 13 June 2024 – Afghanistan v Papua New Guinea, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – Afghanistan v West Indies, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Uganda:

Uganda secured a spot in the T20 World Cup by comfortably defeating Rwanda in their last match of the Africa region qualifier. With five wins in six games, Uganda was the standout team alongside Namibia in the Africa Qualifier as they sealed their berth in the mega event.

Uganda have a stellar record leading up to the tournament with 41 wins in their last 49 T20Is, a win percentage of 83.67 per cent.

Led by Brian Masaba, Uganda will feature in the tournament with plenty of experience in the squad. The 43-year-old Frank Nsubuga aside, the squad also features Alpesh Ramjani, who was one of the nominees for the 2023 ICC Men’s T20I cricketer of the Year.

Uganda play their first three games in Guyana and have the opportunity to spring a surprise from Group C.

Squad:

Brian Masaba (c), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah, Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel. Travelling Reserves: Innocent Mwebaze, Ronald Lutaaya

Fixtures:

Mon, 3 June 2024 – Uganda v Afghanistan, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Wed, 5 June 2024 – Uganda v Papua New Guinea, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Sat, 8 June 2024 – Uganda v West Indies, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Fri, 14 June 2024 – Uganda v New Zealand, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Papua New Guinea:

Like Uganda, PNG come into the tournament with an impeccable record of 14 wins in their last 18 games. They are led by the enterprising Assad Vala, PNG are set to appear for the second time at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Papua New Guinea maintained an unbeaten record in the qualifiers, winning six consecutive matches.

With plenty of all-rounders in the squad, PNG have a versatile unit that can test the bigger teams in the group.

Papua New Guinea kicks off its campaign with a challenging opening match against the host nation, West Indies, on June 2. They then face Uganda on June 5, followed by matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand.

Squad:

Assadollah Vala (c), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, CJ Amini, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura

Fixtures:

Sun, 2 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v West Indies, Guyana, 10:30 AM LOCAL

Wed, 5 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v Uganda, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Thur, 13 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v Afghanistan, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v New Zealand, Trinidad, 10:30 AM LOCAL