New Zealand have appointed a new Test captain ahead of the India series after Tim Southee dropped out

New Delhi: Days after New Zealand’s 2-0 series whitewash against Sri Lanka, veteran pacer Tim Southee has stepped down as captain of the Test team. Southee made the decision ahead of India’s three-match Test series against New Zealand later this month. The fast bowler took over the reins from former captain Kane Williamson in 2022.

Announcing his decision to step down from captaincy, Southee said his decision was in the best interest of the team and he wanted to focus on serving New Zealand as a player. New Zealand go into the recently concluded two-match Test series against Sri Lanka looking to win their first overseas series of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

However, Southee & Co. were swept 2-0 by the hosts. After winning the first Test by 63 runs, Sri Lanka defeated the Kiwis by an innings and 154 runs in the second game to clinch the series. Southee has led New Zealand in a total of 14 matches since taking over from Williamson in 2022 and ended his captaincy with 6 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws.

“It is an absolute honor and privilege to captain the Blackcaps in a very unique format for me,” Southee said in a statement on Wednesday.

“I have always tried to put the team first in my career and I believe this decision is the best for the team. I believe the way forward is to focus on my performance on the field and be at my best, take wickets and help New Zealand win Test matches,” he added.

Tom Latham was again appointed as the captain

Opener Tom Latham will replace Southee as the captain of the New Zealand Test team ahead of the crucial series against India. Latham, who led New Zealand for 9 Test matches between 2020 and 2022, has been reinstated as the Kiwis captain in the longer format. It’s no big deal for Latham to begin his captaincy tenure with what he sees as a challenging tour of India for the Black Caps.

New Zealand were exposed in sub-continental conditions against Sri Lanka as their batsmen struggled to deal with spin. They will be up against a strong Indian side going into the Test series on the back of a 2-0 demolition of Bangladesh in the recently concluded series at home. India will be hoping to continue their dominant record at home against New Zealand to continue their quest to reach a third consecutive WTC final.