For that, he will not feature in New Zealand’s upcoming white-ball series against West Indies as he shifts his focus to the three-Test series in December.
Explaining his decision, Williamson said the moment felt right to move on from the format.
“It’s something that I’ve loved being a part of for a long period of time and I’m so grateful for the memories and experiences. It’s the right time for myself and the team. It gives the team clarity for the series moving forward and ahead of their next major focus which is the T20 World Cup,” he said.
“There’s so much T20 talent there and the next period will be important to get cricket into these guys and get them ready for the World Cup. Mitch is a brilliant captain and leader - he’s really come into his own with this team,”
“It’s now their time to push the Blackcaps forward in this format and I’ll be supporting from afar.”
At 35, Williamson steps away as New Zealand’s second-highest men’s T20I run-scorer, amassing 2,575 runs at an average of 33, including 18 half-centuries and a top score of 95.
Having debuted in 2011, Williamson captained the blackcaps in 75 T20Is, guiding them to two ICC T20 World Cup semi-finals (2016 and 2022) and one final (2021).
Williamson’s next appearance is expected to come for Northern Districts in their Plunket Shield second-round fixture against Auckland at Bay Oval, Tauranga, starting Wednesday, November 26.
The kiwis’ all-time leading run-scorer remains open-minded about his ODI and Test future, with immediate attention on preparing for the upcoming three-Test home series against West Indies beginning in Christchurch on December 2.
Williamson will continue to feature in T20 franchise leagues worldwide.
