CHRISTCHURCH: Veteran pacer Tim Southee will lead the side instead of Kane Williamson in a surprise change of guards in the New Zealand Test team as the Black Caps named their squad for the upcoming two-game Test series against Pakistan.
Southee took the reigns of the Test side as New Zealand on Thursday announced their Test championship-winning captain Williamson was stepping from his role.
Williamson, undoubtedly, remained one of the most successful captains of New Zealand as he compiled a record 22 wins, 10 losses and eight draws out of 40 games under his captaincy reigning over six. He guided New Zealand to victory last year in the inaugural World Test Championship.
The 34-year-old Southee’s first assignment as skipper will be a two-game away series in Pakistan commencing on December 26, for which New Zealand named a relatively young squad.
Southee will be out of the service of fellow quicks Trent Boult and Kylie Jamieson, while uncapped Blair Tickner has been included in the 15-member squad.
The first Test of the two-match series will commence on December 26 at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi and the second will be played in Multan from January 3.
The two teams will then face each other in three ODIs to be played on 10, 12 and 14 January in Karachi.
New Zealand Test squad for Pakistan: Tim Southee (c), Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
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