auckland
\nNew Zealand\u2019s most prolific run-scorer and arguably greatest-ever batsman Kane Williamson announced his immediate retirement from international cricket on Friday.
\nWidely regarded as one of the finest batters of his generation, Williamson ends his international journey having represented New Zealand in 378 matches across all formats, scoring 19,346 runs.
\nHis career record features 48 centuries and six double-centuries, making him the country\u2019s leading run-scorer in international cricket.
\nThe 35-year-old made his debut for the Blackcaps in 2010 and had already stepped away from T20 internationals in November before confirming his full retirement from the game.
\nHis departure marks the end of an era for New Zealand cricket, where he played a central role in sustained success across formats.
\nAs captain from 2016 to 2024, Williamson guided the New Zealand national cricket team through one of its most successful periods, leading them to two ICC World Cup finals, three semi-finals, and the historic ICC World Test Championship title in 2021.
\nHis calm leadership and consistent performances earned him widespread respect across the cricketing world.
\nIn his farewell message, Williamson said the timing felt right after careful reflection, adding that he remains proud of his contribution and optimistic about New Zealand\u2019s future.
\nHe leaves the international stage with several records, including New Zealand\u2019s highest batting averages in both Tests and ODIs among players with significant appearances, and a legacy defined by technical excellence, consistency and composure under pressure.
\nReflecting on his decision, the top-order batter said his passion for representing New Zealand has remained strong throughout his career, but that it was the right moment to move on.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve thought about it for a while, but over the last few days it\u2019s become clear now is the right time. I\u2019ve always felt a strong drive and hunger for international cricket, and I take pride in knowing I\u2019ve given it my all in every match I\u2019ve played for New Zealand,\u201d Williamson said.
\n\u201cContinuing with anything less wouldn\u2019t be right, and I feel fortunate to step away on my own terms,\u201d he added.
\nHe also expressed confidence in the future of New Zealand cricket, highlighting the strength of the current squad and the emerging talent coming through.
\n\u201cI leave feeling optimistic about where this group is heading. There\u2019s a huge amount of talent, and a real desire to do something special with this New Zealand team.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
auckland New Zealand\u2019s most prolific run-scorer and arguably greatest-ever batsman Kane Williamson announced his immediate retirement from international cricket on Friday. Widely regarded as one of the finest batters of his generation, Williamson ends his international journey having represented New Zealand in 378 matches across all formats, scoring 19,346 runs. His career record features 48 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":99015,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99027"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99027\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99039,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99027\/revisions\/99039"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}