Kane Williamson Retires From All International Cricket; Will Young Called Up

New Zealand have called up Will Young to their Test squad after Kane Williamson retired from all international cricket on Friday during the ongoing series against England. Young is expected to arrive in England on Sunday and will join the squad for the remaining two Tests, the team announced on Saturday. The call-up comes after Williamson decided to step away from international cricket despite the series being underway.

The 35-year-old scored 0 and 18 in New Zealand's defeat to England at Lord's last week and subsequently made himself unavailable for the rest of the series, which resumes on Wednesday at The Oval. Williamson then announced his retirement from all international cricket.

Young played a key role in New Zealand's 3-0 Test series win in India in 2024. He was New Zealand's second-highest run-scorer in that series, scoring 244 runs in three Tests at an average of 48.80.

Meanwhile, explaining his decision, Williamson said: “I've thought about it for a while, but over the last few days it's become clear now is the right time.”

Williamson leaves the game as New Zealand's leading run-scorer in Tests, men's ODI World Cups and T20 World Cups, as well as across all three formats combined since making his debut in 2010. Across formats, he scored 19,346 runs and hit 48 centuries. In Test cricket, Williamson made 9,515 runs at an average of 54.06. His record includes 33 centuries, one of them coming on debut against India in Ahmedabad, and six double centuries. His highest score was 251 against the West Indies in 2020.

Williamson captained New Zealand in 206 of his 378 international matches. During his tenure, New Zealand won the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 and reached the finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Reflecting on his career, Williamson said: “I've always felt a strong drive and hunger for international cricket, and I take pride in knowing I've given it my all in every match I’ve played for New Zealand. Continuing with anything less wouldn't be right. “It's a team I love, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of it for so long. It will continue to be dear to my heart. I leave feeling optimistic about where this group is heading. There's a huge amount of talent, and a real desire to do something special with this New Zealand team.”

New Zealand will continue the England series without Williamson, with Young now set to join the squad ahead of the second Test at The Oval.