England captain Jos Buttler believes his side lost their match against South Africa in the powerplay after losing by seven runs in the Super 8s.

South Africa registered their second-most productive powerplay in the tournament so far, with Quinton de Kock proving invaluable with 49 runs during that time.

In England's powerplay, they managed to get just 41 runs, their lowest such tally of the year, and though they pushed late on, they came up just short in the chase.

Buttler admitted that in hindsight, it was South Africa's start that cost England in the end, despite giving themselves a reachable target.

"I'd say it was lost in the powerplay," Buttler said. "Quinton de Kock came out and played with really good intent, and we couldn't really match that. I think we were about 20 behind them at the end of our first six.

"The wicket did slow up, which allowed us to pull it back in the middle, and we were happy to be chasing 160. But yeah, that innings was the difference.

"It's still a good pitch but a little slower than we probably expected. I'm proud of how we responded with the ball after their good powerplay, and Brook and Livingstone had an excellent partnership there to take us so close.

"At one stage, we were favourites but T20 cricket is never that simple, and credit to South Africa for closing it out.

"We know we're still in it. We played well today; we just didn't quite get over the line."

De Kock, who finished on 65, was named Player of the Match for his impressive turn – he equalled the fastest half-century of the tournament (22 balls, level with USA's Aaron Jones), and broke his own record for the most runs in a powerplay by a South Africa batter at a men's T20 World Cup.

South Africa remain unbeaten in the tournament so far and have put themselves in a good position to qualify for the semi-finals, and De Kock was pleased with how they got the win on Friday.

"My plan was to just bat as long as I can and score as many runs I can," De Kock said. "That was pretty much it. I don't really carry or lose confidence; I just get on with my game. So that is what I focused on.

"I thought we bowled really well, especially in the powerplay. We controlled it really nicely. Overall, we were pretty solid and to defend on 160 on a decent pitch is a good effort."

Barbadian Kyle Mayers has been added to the West Indies squad as replacement for Brandon King ahead of their crucial ICC Men's T20 World Cup Super Eight clash against United States.

The left-hander's approval was confirmed by the tournament's Event Technical Committee on Friday.

Mayers, who has played 37 T20Is, was named as a replacement after King was ruled out due to a side strain which forced him to retire hurt in the Caribbean side's loss to England in St Lucia.

However, Mayers will not be involved in the clash of the co-hosts, as he is expected to join the squad on Saturday, and could possibly feature in their final Group 2 Super Eight contest against South Africa.

The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the player can be officially added to the squad.

The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 consists of Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager – Cricket), Chris Tetley (ICC Head of Events), Johnny Grave (CEO, Cricket West Indies) and Kass Naidoo (Independent Representative).

South Africa made it two wins from two in the T20 World Cup Super 8s with a seven-run victory over England on Friday, edging them closer to the final four.

Quinton de Kock starred for the Proteas, but it was Anrich Nortje who ensured England could not win thanks to his bowling in the final over.

South Africa got off to the perfect start, registering their second-most productive powerplay in the tournament so far, without losing a wicket.

De Kock hit his half-century off 22 balls, eventually finishing with 65. However, they soon slipped away as England rallied.

Despite an early over costing him 21 runs, Archer finished strongly on 3-40, helped by some superb catching from Jos Buttler as England eventually limited them to 163-6.

However, England could not keep that momentum going when they stepped up to bat, getting just 41 runs in their own powerplay – their lowest tally this year.

It was not until the introduction of Harry Brook (53) and Liam Livingstone (33) that they found their groove, but when the former got caught in the in the final over, Sam Curran and Jofra Archer could not get the 14 runs they needed from the final five balls, finishing just short on 156-6.

Data Debrief: Records aplenty for De Kock

De Kock has scored back-to-back fifties at the T20 World Cup, but his tally today equalled the fastest half-century of the tournament (USA's Aaron Jones also got 50 off 22 balls).

His 49 runs in the powerplay is the most by a South Africa batter at a men's T20 World Cup, beating his own previous record of 46 against England in 2016.

A disappointing first innings batting effort proved too much to overcome for the West Indies Academy as they went down by 72 runs to Emerging Ireland on day four of their first of two four-day encounter at The Green in Comber on Friday.

Chasing 344 for victory on Friday, the tourists were eventually dismissed for 271 in 56.4 overs.

Openers Kadeem Alleyne and Ackeem Auguste did the bulk of the scoring with a 151-run opening wicket partnership but their wickets in quick succession dashed the hopes of the West Indians pulling off a successful chase.

Alleyne fell narrowly short of a maiden first class hundred with an 84-ball 93 including nine fours and four sixes while Auguste hit a patient 82-ball 47.

Joshua Bishop was also a key contributor with the bat with 42 off 40 balls including six fours and a pair of sixes.

Leg spinner Gavin Hoey was the pick of the Emerging Ireland bowlers with 4-81 from 19 overs while Matthew Humphreys and Liam McCarthy took 3-44 from 8.4 overs and 3-49 from 17 overs, respectively.

Earlier in the game, Emerging Ireland batted first and posted 283 from 91.3 overs in their first innings after being put in to bat before the West Indies Academy replied with a disappointing 214 in 49.1 overs.

The Irish responded to that with 274 off 74 overs in their second innings leaving the West Indies Academy needing 344 for victory.

The second Four-Day game takes place from June 25-28 in Belfast.

Full Scores:

Emerging Ireland 283 off 91.3 overs (Christopher De Freitas 88, Morgan Topping 45*, Thomas Mayes 42, Johann Layne 4-84, Nyeem Young 3-73) & 274 off 74 overs (Cade Carmichael 92, Stephen Doheny 41, Gavin Hoey 37, Johann Layne 5-39, Onaje Amory 2-88)

West Indies Academy 214 off 49.1 overs (Nyeem Young 48*, Kadeem Alleyne 47, Jordan Johnson 33, Thomas Mayes 4-61, Liam McCarthy 3-62, Matthew Humphreys 2-44) & 271 off 56.4 overs (Kadeem Alleyne 93, Ackeem Auguste 47, Joshua Bishop 42, Gavin Hoey 4-81, Matthew Humphreys 3-44, Liam McCarthy 3-49)

In a dominant display, Sri Lanka Women's cricket team crushed the West Indies Women by 160 runs in the third ODI in Hambantota on Friday, securing a comprehensive 3-0 series sweep. Sri Lanka's innings, led by half-centuries from Chamari Athapaththu, Nilakshika Silva, and Anushka Sanjeewani, set an imposing target of 275 for 6, before Sachini Nisansala's maiden five-wicket haul dismantled the West Indies, who were bowled out for a meager 115.

After being put into bat, Sri Lanka started strongly with an opening partnership of 93 runs between Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne. Gunaratne fell just six runs short of her half-century, miscuing a lofted shot to Aaliyah Alleyne at mid-off. Despite losing two more quick wickets, Sri Lanka's captain Athapaththu steadied the innings with a vital 57-run partnership with Nilakshika Silva.

Athapaththu's innings came to an end at 91 off 106 balls when Afy Fletcher spun one through her bat and pad, leaving Sri Lanka at 156 for 4. However, any hopes West Indies had of restricting the hosts were dashed by Silva and Sanjeewani. The duo added 117 runs for the fifth wicket, propelling Sri Lanka to a formidable total. Silva scored 63 off 78 balls, while Sanjeewani contributed a quick-fire 55 off 46 balls. The pair's efforts saw Sri Lanka plunder 93 runs in the final 10 overs, ensuring a challenging target for the visitors.

In response, the West Indies struggled from the outset, losing both Rashada Williams and skipper Shemaine Campbell within the first six overs. The only resistance came from Chedean Nation and Stafanie Taylor, who put together a 57-run partnership off 82 deliveries. However, Taylor's dismissal, edging behind off Oshadi Ranasinghe, left the West Indies in dire straits.

Nation, who top-scored with 46 off 57 balls, was bowled by Athapaththu, reducing the West Indies to 69 for 4. From there, Nisansala took over, exploiting the grip and turn of the surface with her slow left-arm orthodox deliveries. She trapped Zaida James leg before and accounted for Chinelle Henry, Afy Fletcher, and Qiana Joseph, all of whom fell attempting aggressive shots.

Nisansala completed her five-for by dismissing Aaliyah Alleyne, who chipped a return catch after a brief cameo of 27 off 27 balls. The West Indies' innings folded for 115, with Nisansala finishing with figures of 5 for 28, marking her first five-wicket haul in ODIs.

This victory marks Sri Lanka's second series whitewash against the West Indies and highlights the stark difference in form and execution between the two sides. The West Indies will need to reassess and regroup after a disheartening series, while Sri Lanka can take confidence from their dominant performances as they look ahead to future challenges.

Pat Cummins said it was "awesome to be able to join the club" after he took a hat-trick in Australia's T20 World Cup win over Bangladesh.

Cummins starred with the ball while David Warner was key with the back as Australia maintained their perfect record in the tournament to start their Super 8s campaign with a 28-run victory.

It was a rain-impacted encounter in Antigua on Thursday, with Australia ultimately prevailing on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, with the weather having ended play when they were on 100-2 while chasing a target of 141.

Cummins' three wickets came across the 18th and 20th overs of Bangladesh's innings, with Towhid Hridoy (40) his final wicket.

"At the end of the over, I saw it come up on the screen and I totally forgot about [the hat-trick]," Cummins said.

"I've taken a few in junior cricket but never for Australia. It's pretty awesome to be able to join the club."

Warner then took control with the bat, striking an unbeaten 53 from 35 deliveries to ensure Australia were well on course for victory before the weather closed in.

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh added: "A really solid bowling performance, everyone chipped in.

"We've always spoken about having 15 guys who can take us deep in this World Cup and we will pick teams on conditions."

Data Debrief: Magnificent seventh

Cummins became just the seventh player to take a hat-trick of wickets at the men's T20 World Cup and the first Australia player since Brett Lee took 3-27 in 2007.

Coincidentally, Lee's hat-trick also came against Bangladesh.

Rohit Sharma singled out Jasprit Bumrah for particular praise after his starring role in India's impressive win against Afghanistan.

India secured a 47-run victory in their opening T20 World Cup match in Barbados on Thursday, with Bumrah the star of India's bowling attack.

Suryakumar Yadav also caught the eye with a sublime 28-ball 53 to propel India to 181-8 from their 20 overs.

But Bumrah skittled Afghanistan's top order, finishing with figures of 3-7 as India moved top of Group One before Australia face Bangladesh.

Speaking to reporters, Rohit said: "Everyone came in and did their job, that's critical and we dwell on it. SKY (Suryakumar and Hardik's partnership was critical at that point. 

"We needed someone to bat deep which they did. We know Bumrah's class and what he can do. It was important for us to use him smartly regardless of conditions. 

"He's willing to show responsibility and he's been doing it for years."

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan impressed, as did the tournament's leading wicket-taker Fazalhaq Farooqi as they took three wickets each.

It was not enough, though, as Afghanistan were dismissed for 134 off the final ball - Arshdeep Singh taking 3-36.

"We knew we'd be chasing 160-170 given it was against a bigger team," Khan said. "We could've done it had we executed smarter. 

"My bowling has been coming out well. I struggled early in the IPL but am hitting the right areas consistently, but it's the match result that matters most. 

"We've enjoyed our cricket everywhere but our mindset is what matters. If the conditions are helpful, we'll use it depending on if it's a batting or bowling track."

Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah led India to a 47-run defeat of Italy at the T20 World Cup on Thursday.

India started their Super 8s campaign in style in Barbados, with Suryakumar's 28-ball 53 propelling them to 181-8 from their 20 overs.

Virat Kohli added 24, with Hardik Pandya contributing a useful 30 too, though Fazalhaq Farooqi, the tournament's leading wicket-taker, finished with impressive figures of 3-33.

Yet Farooqi was outshone by Bumrah, who was the star of India's bowling attack.

Bumrah took 3-7 as he skittled through Afghanistan's top order, reducing them to 23-3 inside five overs.

Arshdeep Singh (3-36) rounded matters off, sending Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq and Noor Ahmad packing to bowl Afghanistan all out for 134.

The victory sent India to the top of Group One, ahead of Australia's clash with Bangladesh.

Data Debrief: More history for Kohli

Kohli might have taken a backseat in this win, but his haul of 24 saw him move onto 4,066 runs in T20Is.

That makes Kohli India's record run scorer in the format, with the 35-year-old having surpassed Rohit Sharma (4,050).

West Indies fans were left perplexed when pacer Obed McCoy was left out of the XI to play England in their opening Super 8 encounter at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia on Wednesday.

The Vincentian left-arm quick took 3-14 from three overs in the last group stage game against Afghanistan at the same venue after coming into the team for Romario Shepherd who left the squad to attend the birth of his second child.

Historically, McCoy’s eight wickets in three games at the venue is the third most among active cricketers with only Pakistan Saeed Ajmal with 11 wickets in five games and Hayden Walsh Jr with 12 wickets in five games ahead of him.

Despite these statistics, McCoy was left out of the team that suffered a brutal eight-wicket loss on Thursday.

Shepherd, who came back into the side in place of McCoy, conceded 41 runs in two overs.

His last over was belted for 30 runs by Phil Salt who finished 87*.

West Indies Captain Rovman Powell defended the call to leave McCoy out of the side.

“I think when you're selecting a team and you have players that are playing good you will always have to make the tough decision. We sat down as a selection group and thought that the team that played today is our better team to face England and it just didn't work out tonight,” Powell said in a post-match press conference.

The hosts will next take on joint hosts the USA in Barbados on Friday before facing South Africa in their final Super 8 game in Antigua on Sunday.

Despite Wednesday’s loss, the West Indies still have their fate in their own hands as wins in those two games will see them having a good chance of making it to the last four.

“I think our destiny is still in our own hands. It's just for us to continue to play good cricket. And once we do that, we think we'll be ok,” Powell said.

England captain Jos Buttler has praised Jonny Bairstow's "mature innings" after their impressive eight-wicket victory over West Indies at the T20 World Cup.

England successfully chased down their target of 181 with 15 balls to spare thanks to dominant batting from Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow.

Salt scored 87 not out, including a 30-run over, while Bairstow's 48 not out saw them over the line after losing two wickets to get off to a winning start in the Super 8s.

After mixed results in the group stage, Buttler was pleased with the commanding performance of his team, praising the batters for their smart display.

"That was a really good performance from us," Buttler said at the post-match presentation. "We planned really well. We've been practising well and executed both with the bat and ball and deserved to win.

"I thought we bowled really well to restrict such a powerful batting line-up, such great six-hitters especially. [It was a] decent score, and you had to play well to chase it down.

"I thought we were very smart with the bat. Guys were very calculated when they took their options on. The Bairstow and Salt partnership was so good. Jonny came in with great intent and took the momentum straight back. Salty tucked in behind him for a bit and when he got that one big over, he broke the back of it.

"[Bairstow] is a class player, he has been for a really long time. That's what we decided to do, you just keep backing class players.

"He hasn't had many opportunities but today was an incredibly impressive innings. A really mature, senior player's innings. With a lot of power, he scored at a great gear when the game was just in the balance.

"A lot of people say you learn when you lose, but I truly believe you learn when you win as well. [It is] important to reflect on what we did well today. We had a good performance, put that to bed and focus on the next performance."

England's opening game was washed out against Scotland before they lost to Australia in the second, but back-to-back wins against Oman and Namibia were enough for them to qualify for the Super 8s.

Salt, on the back of his best run-tally in the tournament so far, is confident England have found their footing as they prepare to face South Africa on Friday.

"Tournament cricket, in my experience, is all about having the confidence and momentum at the same time - and having a little bit of luck here and there," Salt said.

"If we can just keep building on that game by game, we'll be in a pretty good spot."

The West Indies' T20 World Cup campaign took a severe hit after their eight-wicket defeat to England in the Super 8s match in St Lucia on Wednesday night with the news that they could be without opener Brandon King for the remainder of the tournament. The Jamaican retired hurt due to an apparent side strain early in their innings of 180-4.

King had given the West Indies a strong start, smashing 23 runs off just 12 balls, including a massive 101-metre six off Reece Topley that flew over the midwicket boundary. However, his promising innings was abruptly halted on his 13th delivery when he attempted to drive Sam Curran through the covers and suffered a side strain, forcing him to retire hurt after medical attention.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) later confirmed the injury: "Brandon King has suffered a side strain and will not return to the field of play in this evening's match." King did not field during England's chase, with Shimron Hetmyer taking his place.

Side strains usually take several weeks to heal, making King's participation in the remaining matches of the World Cup highly unlikely with only ten days left in the tournament. West Indies captain Rovman Powell expressed concern over King's injury. "Yes, a little bit worrying but hopefully he can pull through for the next game," Powell said. "We know how important a player he is for us."

King's absence would be a significant setback for the West Indies. Despite a modest tournament so far with a top score of 34, King’s experience and leadership, having recently captained the team against South Africa, are invaluable.

The West Indies have five standby players: Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh Jr., and Matthew Forde. Kyle Mayers, who narrowly missed the initial squad, is the frontrunner to replace King, though Fletcher's experience as a top-order batsman also makes him a strong candidate.

The team will travel to Barbados on Thursday ahead of their next Super Eight match against the USA at Kensington Oval on Friday. With their World Cup ambitions in jeopardy, the West Indies will need to quickly adapt and find a way to mitigate the loss of their dynamic opener.

As the tournament continues, the focus will be on the West Indies to see how they handle this adversity and whether Brandon King can make an unexpected return to bolster their World Cup hopes.

Phil Salt hit an impressive six boundaries in a single over as England produced their best performance of the T20 World Cup to beat West Indies by eight wickets in the Super 8s.

Opener Salt plundered 87 not out in 47 balls to set the defending champions on their way to hitting their target of 181 with 15 balls to spare.

Brandon King made a promising start for West Indies, hitting 23 in the powerplay, but retired hurt, potentially ending his tournament early.

Though Johnson Charles (38), Nicolas Pooran and Rovman Powell (both 36) kept the hosts moving steadily, England were able to limit them to 180-4.

Salt hit his 50 at the start of the 16th, in which he hit three sixes and as many fours in a 30-run over against Romario Shepherd.

Jonny Bairstow also added an unbeaten 48 to take them to 181-2 after Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali were dismissed, as England finally found their footing in the tournament.

Data Debrief: Worth his Salt

Salt's 30-run over firmly swung the momentum in England's favour, and it is the joint-most expensive over for a West Indies bowler at the T20 World Cup.

Before this match, Salt had scored just 60 runs in total in England's previous three outings at the tournament but beat that in a dominant display against West Indies.

Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada impressed as South Africa held on to defeat the United States by 18 runs in an entertaining encounter as the Super 8s began at the T20 World Cup on Wednesday.

Opener De Kock smashed 74 runs from just 40 balls and captain Aiden Markram added 46 for the Proteas as their top order finally fired after enduring a difficult start to the tournament.

Even though Harmeet Singh (2-24) removed De Kock and David Miller (0) in consecutive balls in the 13th over, Heinrich Klaasen (36 not out) and Tristan Stubbs (20no) helped South Africa to a healthy 194-4 in Antigua.

USA fell to 76-5 just after the midway point of their innings as it looked like a chase of 195 would fall flat, but a magnificent partnership of 91 from 43 balls between Andries Gous and Harmeet took USA to within 28 of their target with two overs to spare.

However, Rabada took the crucial wicket of Harmeet for 38 and killed the contest as his 19th over went for that wicket and just two runs, capping a fine bowling display that saw him finish with figures of 3-18 from four overs.

Gous batted on and finished with an impressive unbeaten 80 off 47 balls, but USA fell short as South Africa maintained their 100 per cent record in the competition so far.

Data Debrief: De Kock and Gous impress

After USA won the toss and elected to field before removing Reeza Hendricks (11) in the third over, they sensed an opportunity to seize control.

But De Kock had other ideas, smashing three successive sixes as South Africa scored a huge 28 off the fourth over to seize momentum they did not relinquish from there.

De Kock’s superb innings included five maximums and seven fours until he was finally removed by Harmeet in the 13th over.

As the South Africa star left the field, only three players had recorded a better innings than him in this year's tournament – West Indies' Nicholas Pooran (98), USA's Aaron Jones (94 not out) and Afghanistan batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz (who has had scores of 80 and 76).

But Gous then immediately topped him with an excellent knock of his own, and the American now has the most runs in the tournament with 182, putting him 15 ahead Gurbaz, who is back in action against India on Thursday.

Having downed England 3-2 in their T20I series last year, West Indies are hoping to replicate those winning performances on an even bigger stage, as the two familiar foes square off in Super Eight of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, in St Lucia, on Wednesday night.

First ball is 7:30pm Jamaica time.

With both West Indies and England being two-time champions, the anticipation is high ahead of what should be another intriguing clash in which familiarity will bring success for one or the other.

However, West Indies captain Rovman Powell is optimistic that his team will come out tops and set the tone for the remainder of their Super Eight fixtures, while pushing England, the reigning champions, on the back foot.

Both teams have met 29 times in the game’s shortest format, with West Indies holding a 17-12 advantage, one which they are intent on extending, especially on the back of their rich vein of form. Still, while the Caribbean side enters the business end of the tournament unbeaten and England just squeezed through by virtue of a better net run rate than Scotland, Powell knows better that to take the opposition lightly.

“They are the defending champions and they are a very good team. So, it’s for us now to just sit and find some plans and see how those plans can work against them,” Powell said in a pre-match press conference.

West Indies celebrate after topping England in their five-match T20I series last year.

“We play them [England] actually every year, so they know a lot about us, we know a lot about them. It’s just that when you’re playing the game on the day, whoever gets on top has to stay on top for as long as possible,” he added.

With the venue –named in honour of their current coach Darren Sammy, who captained West Indies to World Cup triumph in 2012 and 2016 –being to their liking, Powell pointed out that they will once again be aiming to capitalise on the conditions in Saint Lucia. West Indies rewrote the record books a few times in their first game of the tournament at the venue on Monday, as they hammered Afghanistan by 104 runs.

West Indies have won six of 10 T20Is played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, including five of the last six. But, Powell is well aware that England also have a liking to the venue, as they have never lost any of their previous three T20Is at the ground, including five years ago when they beat West Indies by four wickets.

“We always knew that St Lucia was going to be one of the better pitches to play matches on in the Caribbean because of our experience during CPL (Caribbean Premier League) and all the years of playing here,” Powell noted.

Obed McCoy (left) and Nicholas Pooran (back turned) starred for West Indies against Afghanistan.

“So, it’s good that we’re starting here, and we played one game on it (against Afghanistan) before the start of the Super Eights. We’re kind of a little bit accustomed to the boundaries and accustomed to the wicket. Hopefully, it would suit us a little bit more than the Englishmen,” he said.

On that note, Powell welcomed the headache that comes with selecting the most formidable 11, as pacer Obed McCoy replaced Romario Shepherd and did well, bagging 3-14 against Afghanistan, while Shai Hope, wo replaced Roston Chase in the middle order, also contributed handily to the victory.

Shepherd, who returned home for personal reasons ahead of the Afghanistan contest, is expected to rejoin the team for this Super Eight opener.

“It’s always good and encouraging when you give guys an opportunity and they take the opportunity because it makes for good competition within the squad. It’s for us as a selection panel – myself, the coach and the chairman – to actually sit down and try to find the best combination. It’s good that guys are putting themselves up and making it a little bit difficult to pick the team,” the Jamaican reasoned.

“I think a big part of my captaincy is giving guys opportunities and supporting them. Johnson Charles didn’t have particularly a good start to the World Cup but we always knew when he comes home, he’s going to feel at home, he’s going to feel his St Lucians behind him,” Powell shared.

Kane Williamson has stepped down as New Zealand's captain in both ODIs and T20Is, while also declining a central contract.

New Zealand endured a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, exiting at the end of the group stage after losing their opening two games against Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea.

Williamson played his 100th Test earlier this year, leading New Zealand in 40 of those, and has 165 ODI caps and 93 T20I caps.

As captain, he led them to the World Test Championship title in 2021, and two finals in the ODI World Cup in 2019, and the T20 World Cup in 2021, both of which they lost.

With the hopes of prolonging his international career, the 33-year-old explained his decision to decline the contract for 2024-25.

"Helping push the team forward across the formats is something I'm very passionate about and something I want to keep contributing towards," Williamson said in a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) release.

"However, pursuing an overseas opportunity during the New Zealand summer means I'm unable to accept a central contract offer."

Ahead of last season, Williamson had given up his Test captaincy, with Tim Southee appointed as his successor.

Despite not taking the offer of a central contract, he has not written off signing one in the future if the timing is right.

"Playing for New Zealand is something I treasure, and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished.

"My life outside cricket has changed, however. Spending more time with my family and enjoying experiences with them at home or abroad is something that's even more important to me."