Kane Williamson tipped to follow in Joe Root's footsteps and quit as New Zealand captain

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has been tipped to resign after the ongoing Test series against England so he can focus solely on his batting.

Williamson is widely regarded as one of the best batters in the world and he has led New Zealand since 2016, having replaced Brendon McCullum when he announced his retirement. After Joe Root resigned as England skipper back in April, Williamson is the last member of the so-called 'Fab Four' to still be captaining his national team after Steve Smith was stripped of the role following the 2018 ball-tampering scandal and Virat Kohli resigned in January.

As a result of various issues, Williamson has now only led New Zealand in one of their last seven Test matches, having been sidelined for the ongoing game against England at Trent Bridge after testing positive for Covid-19.

Vice-captain Tom Latham has proved an able deputy for Williamson and former New Zealand bowler Simon Doull believes he should be given the job on a permanent basis. Speaking on Sky Sports, Doull urged Williamson to follow in Root's footsteps and relinquish the captaincy.

"He's a good captain," Doull said of Latham. "I almost think that if Kane Williamson is fit to play and captain the side in the third Test, it might be for the last time in Test cricket.

"I just think it is time for Tom Latham to take over this Test match side. Kane has done it for long enough, I just want him to be the best batsman New Zealand have ever had - and he will be.

"It hurts me to see him going through what he is going through at the moment, form wise. He is such a quality player and a quality guy.

"I see Tom Latham as our future Test match captain just to relieve some of that pressure." Speaking at the toss, Latham was asked