New Zeland's Kane Williamson will captain the BLACKCAPS at the ICC World T20 2016 to be played in India from 8 March. Brendon McCullum, who revealed his plans during a press conference in Christchurch, will play his last game for New Zealand in the Test Match against Australia at Hagley Oval, starting 20 February.
McCullum was anxious to wait until after his final game to make the announcement, but the impending naming of the New Zealand squad for the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, in which he will not be included, has forced his hand.
“Ideally, I would have preferred to wait until after the ANZ Test in Christchurch to make this news public,” he said today.
“However, the schedule for naming the ICC World T20 squads means I couldn’t have managed this without causing a lot of confusion and speculation – something I was keen to avoid.
“I’ve loved my opportunity to play for, and captain the BLACKCAPS, but all good things have to come to an end, and I’m just grateful for the wonderful experience of playing for my country.”
“There’s a time and place for reflection and that’s at the end of your career,” he said.
“For now, I’ll be giving all my attention to helping the team focus on what’s coming up over the next few weeks – and making sure we’re in the best possible shape for what’s going to be a very challenging summer.”
NZC chief executive David White emphasised the decision to announce McCullum’s plans today was borne of circumstance, and a desire to be open and transparent with the media and public.
