"I don't know" - Kane Williamson uncertain about his T20I future after New Zealand end T20 WC 2024 with a win
New Zealand limited-overs skipper Kane Williamson suggested that it was not the right time to decide his T20I future as the Kiwis ended their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a win over Papua New Guinea (June 17). The classy right-handed batter said his side's focus will now shift to red-ball cricket, with the World Test Championship (WTC) final coming next year.
Williamson has been one of the few players to have succeeded in all three formats; however, his numbers in T20Is are underwhelming compared to the other two versions. The 33-year-old has featured in 93 matches since his debut in October 2011, amassing 2,575 runs.
Speaking after Monday's game against Papua New Guinea, the Tauranga-born cricketer addressed his future and said, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:
"Oh, I don't know. There's a bit of time between now and then, so it's about regrouping as a side. We've got red-ball cricket over the next year basically, so it's back into some other international formats, and we'll see where things land."
Although the veteran batter stayed unbeaten on 18 against Papua New Guinea, his form in the tournament has been concerning as he departed cheaply against Afghanistan and the West Indies. It is also the first time the Black Caps faced a group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup.
"We played against a couple of very strong sides who are very well equipped in these conditions" - Kane Williamson
In the same conversation, Williamson admitted that the Kiwis were found wanting in these conditions, but expects his side to be fully prepared the next time they play here. He said:
"It took a long time to start and then, in a matter of days, we were not in contention, which was frustrating. We played against a couple of very strong sides who are very well equipped in these conditions and unfortunately that was the difference in our first two games. All in all it's frustrating, but there'll be learnings for the players that come back to this part of the world. These conditions have been somewhat challenging, so they are some good experiences to have going forward."
New Zealand lost to Afghanistan and the West Indies and ended their campaign with victories over Uganda and Papua New Guinea.