Kane Williamson retires from all international cricket immediately
8 reported
New Zealand batter Kane Williamson has retired from all international cricket with immediate effect, ending a career that spanned from 2010 to 2026. The 35-year-old played his final match in the first Test against England at Lord’s, where he scored a duck and 18 runs, and will not take part in the remaining two Tests of the series. Williamson retires as New Zealand’s leading all-format run-scorer with 19,346 runs, including 48 centuries and six double hundreds, in 378 appearances. He captained the Black Caps on 206 occasions between 2012 and 2024, leading the team to victory in the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 and to finals in the 2019 World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup. Head coach Rob Walter praised Williamson’s legacy and impact, saying his influence on the team’s culture and standards will remain embedded in its DNA. Former New Zealand all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee called Williamson a “wonderful player” and an “unflappable leader” who was the architect of some of the country’s greatest cricket moments.
What’s reported
Kane Williamson retired from all international cricket with immediate effect at age 35.
He played his final match in the first Test against England at Lord’s, scoring a duck and 18.
Williamson is New Zealand’s leading all-format run-scorer with 19,346 runs, 48 centuries, and six double hundreds in 378 appearances (2010–2026).
He scored 9,515 Test runs at an average of 54.06, including 33 centuries, in 110 matches.
He captained New Zealand 206 times between 2012 and 2024, winning the 2021 World Test Championship and reaching the 2019 World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup finals.
Williamson said he had thought about retirement for a while and felt it was the right time to step away on his own terms.
Head coach Rob Walter said Williamson’s impact on the team’s culture and standards will remain embedded in its DNA.
Former New Zealand all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee described Williamson as a “wonderful player” and an “unflappable leader.”
Key figures
Kane Williamson: New Zealand batter, retired from international cricket.
Rob Walter: New Zealand head coach.
Sir Richard Hadlee: Former New Zealand all-rounder.
Sources: BBC News
