Image Credit- ICC
When asked about
Neil Wagner’s retirement, Kane Williamson responded with his customary straight
face, stating that “nobody is forced to retire,” following the
implication made by former teammate Ross Taylor that there was unrest in the
New Zealand camp.
At a press conference held at Hagley Oval on Wednesday, two days before the
second Test match against Australia—where he and Tim Southee will commemorate
their 100th Test match—Williamson was questioned about Taylor’s remarks.
Wagner was given a wonderful send-off by the team last week in Wellington,
according to Williamson, who feels that Wagner was not coerced into retirement.
“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.
“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. 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. It was quite a special week for that reason and I
think he had a really amazing time sharing that with the side.”
Williamson also
added some context to Wagner’s finger-on-the-mouth celebration on the mouth
celebration, suggesting it had come as a result of some banter between Southee
and Wagner about his fielding.
“Those guys are great mates and have been and will continue to be,”
Williamson said. “That was banter in the dressing room with Waggy and his
fielding so he ended up putting him down at fine leg. So to get a catch was
quite amusing. So Waggy took his opportunity. I think he thinks that obviously
out of context [and] it doesn’t look great, but it was a little bit humorous at
the time and all the players understood the context.”