Kane Williamson made a surprising announcement on Wednesday, June 19, shaking the foundations of New Zealand cricket by declaring that he will not be signing a new central contract for the 2024-25 season. While stepping down from his contract, Williamson has assured his continued dedication to New Zealand cricket but has also relinquished his role as captain.
At 33, Williamson revealed that he is exploring opportunities to play in an overseas league during the New Zealand summer, which means he won’t be available for the national team during that period. However, he noted that outside of this timeframe, he remains fully committed to representing New Zealand.
Williamson expressed his feelings, saying he remains passionate about contributing to the team's progress across all formats but noted that the chance to play abroad during the New Zealand summer prevents him from accepting a central contract. He reiterated that playing for New Zealand is something he cherishes deeply, but acknowledged that his personal life has evolved. Spending more time with his family and enjoying experiences with them, both at home and overseas, has become increasingly important to him.
Despite New Zealand Cricket's preference for selecting centrally contracted players, CEO Scott Weenink stated that they are prepared to make an exception for Williamson. Weenink explained that this arrangement allows Williamson to continue playing a significant role for the BLACKCAPS, both now and in the future. He noted that with minimal international cricket scheduled in New Zealand during January, Williamson’s availability outside this period remains valuable for the team. Weenink stated that while the policy is to favour centrally contracted players, they are willing to bend the rules for Williamson, recognising his immense contribution and commitment to the team.
Williamson’s leadership faced a setback when New Zealand exited the current T20 World Cup in the first round, ending a remarkable streak in ICC white-ball tournaments over the past years. Following this disappointing outcome, fast bowler Trent Boult had already declared the T20 World Cup would be his last.
With Williamson stepping down from the limited-overs captaincy, New Zealand now faces the task of appointing a new skipper for these formats. Williamson had already stepped down from the Test captaincy in 2022, leaving him to lead only in the shorter formats. During his tenure, New Zealand came agonisingly close to winning the 2019 World Cup, narrowly losing to England, and also lost the 2021 T20 World Cup final to Australia. However, they did secure the inaugural World Test Championship under his guidance in 2021.
Additionally, fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has hinted at his reluctance to sign a central contract. The final list of contracted players is expected to be announced next month.