As he prepares to return to the Black Caps as early as this weekend, Kane Williamson asserts his international playing future ultimately comes down to what’s best for his family.
At 35, and having been a New Zealand international since 2010, Williamson’s time with the Black Caps has taken a back seat over the past two years.
Last year, after the Black Caps were eliminated from the Twenty20 World Cup in the US and Caribbean, Williamson stood down from the white-ball captaincy and opted out of a NZ Cricket central contract to chase opportunities as a freelancer.
That effectively enables him to pick and choose when he can play for the Black Caps, provided it does not clash with commitments in franchise cricket.
Earlier this year, Williamson opted out of New Zealand’s tour of Zimbabwe – a first assignment under new coach Rob Walter – to take up English deals with Middlesex, and the London Spirit.
And while Williamson had previously skipped white-ball series, Zimbabwe represented the first time he had turned down the chance to play test cricket.
But with the Kiwi summer already under way, Williamson is now back with the Black Caps for the first time since the defeat to India in the Champions Trophy final.
After being forced out of the three-match T20 series against England with a “minor medical issue”, Williamson can return in the One-Day International series-opener tomorrow, at his home ground of Bay Oval.
However, when asked about what his future might look like, Williamson makes no bones about where his priorities lie.
“It’s ongoing communication with New Zealand Cricket and Rob,” he said. “I’m grateful for that.
“For me, it’s about the balance with family etc, and time away. But also, the delicate balance of being part of this team that I’ve really enjoyed and loved for such a long time.
“It’s great to be back amongst the one-dayers, we’ll keep assessing what’s next as we go.”
Before last year’s test series loss to England, where long-time teammate Tim Southee called time on his career as a Black Cap, Williamson also admitted he was close to the end.
Since his debut in 2010, Williamson has been a Black Caps regular; at no point has he ever been dropped, while from 2016 to 2024 he led the side in at least one format.
That’s a huge toll for a player also charged with being New Zealand’s best batter, in the Black Caps’ most successful era. As most professional athletes will attest, though, the personal cost of that success – being away from loved ones – does catch up with you.
In Williamson’s case, the verdict from NZ Cricket and the Black Caps is that he has more than earned the right to decide how involved he is.
Naturally, that time to spend with family, as he did over the New Zealand winter, has been gratefully accepted.
However, with an international return in sight, Williamson’s desire to play for his country still burns.
“As your life situation changes, as mine has – I’m incredibly grateful for that with three young children – the balance between where you spend your time and give your attention is very important for me,” he explained.
“To still be able to play for New Zealand in the sport I love at the highest level is great, but the balance is the most important thing for me.
“I still love the game, I still have a strong desire to get better and train hard, and offer whatever I can to the team. That’s really important to me.”
Even before he’s faced a ball this international summer, Williamson has next to nothing to prove. In test cricket, he owns close to every conceivable record with the bat – records that will likely never be broken.
The only mark that could be said to be missing from Williamson’s collection would be the fabled total of 10,000 test runs – of which he sits 724 short.
With a home series against the West Indies to come this summer, and tours to England and Australia next year, Williamson should – if available – have enough time to get to that milestone.
But Williamson has never played for statistics. Rather, he has his eyes on one last crack at a world title, the 2027 World Cup, as well as the chance to keep playing test cricket.
And although he makes no mention of next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, Williamson outlines that his own wants will not come before the Black Caps’ needs.
“Really, it’s about what I want, and a little bit more about what the team wants,” he said. “[It’s about] keeping those lines of communication open to make sure that we’re nice and focused and clear on what it looks like.
“But also, being respectful of the fact that this is a team and special place, they’re always trying to build towards something.
“For me in this phase of my career, if I’m able to add to it, brilliant.”
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.