After choosing a non-binding contract, Kane Williamson said, “My priority still is absolutely playing for New Zealand.”

After the scandal involving then-skipper Kane Williamson of New Zealand at the T20 World Cup 2024, when he rejected a new central contract from NZ Cricket, there were many conversations about his preference for private profit over national interests. This prompted criticism in several places. Williamson’s most recent disclosure, nevertheless, struck a deep chord with the cricket community.

In an interview with media after arriving in Auckland, he stated that he was eager to play for the Black Caps for as long as he was able to do so both physically and emotionally. The 33-year-old expressed his heartfelt gratitude for serving New Zealand and captaining the team (206 games in all formats), calling it an honour and pleasure he has treasured for many years. He also expressed his desire to be a part of the Kiwi cricketing community for as long as he could make a significant and productive contribution, and that any job on the team would be extremely rewarding for him.

“Playing for New Zealand remains my first priority. I enjoy playing for New Zealand, therefore I want to keep playing as long as I can. Being captain for a lot of years has been a privilege and an honour, and I’ve truly loved my time in that role. I want to stay in that community for as long as I can, as long as I’m contributing and bringing value, because I love being a part of this squad,” Williamson said, according to Cricbuzz.

This competition appears to be incredible: Kane Williamson concerning the SA20

Like speedster Trent Boult, who chose a few years ago to forego his national team contract in order to seek chances on the global franchise cricket circuit, Williamson plans to give priority to his responsibilities to the national team. Since then, Boult has only ever represented New Zealand at ICC events and important competitions. Williamson, on the other hand, intends to play in the majority of games, with the exception of the January window of the following year, when he hopes to play in the 2019 SA20 season. Williamson expressed how excited he was about the chance to play in the SA20, saying that he thought South Africa would be a great place to play cricket.

“The SA20 competition seems like a great one. There are other fantastic tournaments happening at that time, but that one seems very intriguing. It’s a great location for recreation. It’s a slightly different experience,” Williamson continued.