Kane Williamson urged to quit Test captaincy by TV pundit Simon Doull

The New Zealand TV commentator and former player Simon Doull has said he believes it is time for the Black Caps captain, Kane Williamson, to preserve his long-term international future by stepping down after the third Test at Headingley.

Speaking to the Guardian from the makeshift TV commentary box in Amstelveen where he is commentating on the England-Netherlands one-day series, Doull acknowledged the huge contribution to New Zealand cricket provided by Williamson.

“I just don’t know about the longevity of Kane Williamson the captain,” said Doull. “He is without doubt the best player we’ve ever produced outside of Sir Richard Hadlee. He is world class and I’d love him to be just the best player we’ve ever seen and if that means giving up the Test captaincy to prolong his career, I think he should.

“He’s never been a lover of doing the media – he’s just not that guy – he’s a real cricket guy, he loves the game, studies the game. I just don’t know that he can sustain all three formats. I would rather he was just New Zealand’s one-day and T20 captain.”

Williamson has played only two Tests since guiding New Zealand to the World Test Championship last summer, missing the second Test at Trent Bridge because of injury, but had an indifferent Indian Premier League campaign by his standards, returning home early for the birth of his son.

“When you’ve got a really worthy replacement, and Tom Latham is,” Doull continues, “I think that is the easiest time to transition and walk away from it. New Zealand don’t play another Test until the autumn [after Headingley], so it is not a bad time after the Leeds Test to do it.

“It’s not because I think Kane’s been a bad captain, I think he’s been a great captain – to take New Zealand to the