New Zealand call up Young as Williamson’s replacement for remaining two Tests
Young will arrive in England on Sunday and start training with the side from Monday
ESPNcricinfo staff
Published: Jun 13, 2026, 10:44 AM
Will Young last played a Test in December • Getty Images
New Zealand have called up Will Young for the remaining two Tests against England as a replacement for Kane Williamson, who retired from international cricket on Friday.
Young last played a Test in December against West Indies in Christchurch. In all, he has played 23 Tests, scoring 1215 runs at an average of 31.97. More recently, he was part of the ODI series in Bangladesh, where he scored 30, 2 and 19 in three outings.
Young will arrive in England on Sunday, June 14 and start training with the side from Monday. The second Test at The Oval starts on June 17.
New Zealand’s other option to replace Williamson is Henry Nicholls. He was the leading run-scorer in the 2025-26 Plunket Shield, scoring 870 runs in seven matches at a Bradmanesque average of 96.66. Young, on the other hand, scored only 119 runs at 14.87 in five games in the tournament.
New Zealand are trailing the three-match Test series 1-0 after their 115-run loss at Lord’s.
