New Zealand captain Tim Southee has left the captaincy just before the India tour. Tom Latham has been made the new captain of the team in his place. He will captain the Kiwi team coming on the Indian tour from October 16. The New Zealand Cricket Board gave this information on Tuesday night. 35-year-old Southee said- ‘I have decided to leave the captaincy in the interest of the team. Captaining New Zealand has been very special for me. I have always given priority to the team in my career and I believe this decision is right for the team. Now I can serve the team better by focusing on my performance.’ Southee replaced Kane Williamson in December 2022. Southee captained the team in 14 Test matches, out of which 6 were won, 6 were lost and 2 matches were drawn. Lost the series against Sri Lanka 2-0
Under the captaincy of Southee, the New Zealand team lost 2-0 in the 2-Test series against Sri Lanka last week. The Sri Lankan team lost the first match played in Galle by 63 runs, while the team had to face defeat of an innings and 154 runs in the second match. In this series, Southee bowled 49 overs and could take only 2 wickets. Southee has been able to take only 12 wickets in the last 8 Tests. Tim Southee is going through a bad form. He has been able to take only 12 wickets in the last 8 matches. He has taken 35 wickets in the 14 Tests played under his captaincy at an average of 38.60. First Test in Bengaluru from October 16 The first match of New Zealand’s Indian tour will be played in Bengaluru from October 16. After that the second match will be played in Pune from October 24 and the third match will be played in Mumbai from November 1. However, the team has not been announced for the Indian tour.
