Tim Southee unsure about captaincy role after multiple flops

Towards the fag end of 2023, New Zealand lost to Bangladesh for only the second time in history, which drew a lot of criticism. They went on to win the second Test and also the series against South Africa but the conversation reignited after their 0-2 defeat at the hands of Australia on their own turf. Skipper Tim Southee has received a lot of criticism after the defeat as his own form is under scrutiny.

Addressing the matter after the second Test against Australia, Southee revealed that he isn’t too sure about his future as New Zealand captain. Notably, the Black Caps are slated to travel to Asia later this year as they will play a series each against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and India. He mentioned that the combination will be changed in the coming months as spinners will play a bigger role in the sub-continent. 

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“We'll see,” Southee said when asked about his captaincy. “Obviously you go to Asia, the make-up of the side changes slightly with spin becoming the main threat in that part of the world. But we'll see when we get there. We'll deal with this tonight and look to move forward to what's to come,” he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Southee’s captaincy received massive criticism when he didn’t introduce Glenn Phillips early on Day 4 in Christchurch. Phillips, who is in remarkable form, was introduced just before lunch, as until then Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey were completely set as they eventually played a massive role in Australia’s win in the second Test.

Meanwhile, the skipper added that there’s no mental blockage when they play against Australia. He mentioned that the Pat Cummins-led side is a tough team to beat and added that one needs to be at their best to get the job done.

“They're a tough side to beat, not only in Australia, but when they travel as well. I think when you play the best you've got to be at your best for those periods, that little bit longer. We had moments through both Test matches where we could have been a little bit better at times and then things could have been slightly different,” Southee said.