The dust on Neil Wagner’s retirement saga is yet to settle as New Zealand and Kane Williamson prepare for the crunch second Test against arch-rivals Australia, which starts on Friday (Mar 9). Wagner, who announced his immediate retirement after the Wellington Test had former and current players’ opinions divided with Ross Taylor reckoning he was forced to hang his boots. Commenting on the same, former New Zealand skipper and member of the current squad, Kane Williamson has taken a jibe at Taylor stating, that no one is forced to retire.
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“I don’t think anybody is forced to retire,” Williamson said. “I think last week, he had a fantastic week and it was reflecting on what was an incredible career.
Taylor earlier while speaking to ESPNcricinfo had commented: “I think it all makes sense a little bit now. There’s no sugarcoating it: I think it’s a forced retirement. If you listen to Wagner’s press conference, he was retiring, but it was after this last Test match [against Australia]. So he did make himself available.”
“We had some amazing moments in the dressing room. It didn’t go perfectly. Obviously, an on-field performance would have helped but it was so much more than that.
However, Williamson did not agree with Taylor with whom he has shared the stage on multiple occasions during the latter’s playing days. According to Williamson, Wagner could have done a little bit better on the field and prolonged his stay with the side.
“He’s just done such incredible things for this team. And we’ve seen the skill that he has and the numbers that everybody sees but the heart and soul and effort that he’s brought to the side and largely led through that for so long has been incredible,” Williamson added while speaking in build-up to the Christchurch Test.
Current skipper Tim Southee after the Wellington Test even kept doors open for an unlikely Wagner return after pacer Will O’Rourke got injured in his debut match. However, those talks haven’t materialise with New Zealand keeping faith in their bench.
The second Test in Christchurch will have huge implications for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. Both teams are on the hunt for the top spot while India are now leading the pack after the Kiwis lost the opening Test. The defeat condemned them to their first drop points of the WTC cycle helping India climb the standings.
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