Neil Wagner’s “Forced Retirement”: Kane Williamson Explains, “Ross Taylor Might Know More Than Me But…”

The star batter for New Zealand, Kane Williamson, has disputed the assertion made by his old teammate, Ross Taylor, that Neil Wagner was forced to retire.

During the news conference before the second Test match between Australia and New Zealand, Williamson said, “I’m not sure if [Taylor] knows more than me.” However, we are focused on the men who are giving it their all, working to improve as a team, and advancing the squad.

Nobody is, in my opinion, compelled to retire. Williamson said, “I think he had a great week and it was reflecting on what was an incredible career.”

The former captain also emphasized the importance placed on the changing room culture. “Yeah, quite good,” the batter said to Williamson.

Something that, as a team, we always strive to enhance and develop. We’ve been attempting to do that for years. There are always changes in the scene, with players and support personnel coming and going.

Following the first Test defeat, Taylor made a controversial statement in which he implied that Wagner’s retirement was an enforced choice, drawing attention to the Kiwi locker room.

Wagner had also made an appearance in the last Test, taking a catch in place of a replacement fielder. The fast bowler also produced a “shush” celebration during their festivities, which fueled rumors of unrest.

The 33-year-old gave an explanation of what happened. He said, “Waggy fielded him at fine leg because of some banter with him in the dressing room.” So it was rather comical to obtain a catch. Waggy then seized the chance. Although it doesn’t look good and is clearly out of context, I believe he believes that all the players understood the context at the time, and it was also rather hilarious.

Given that the New Zealand bowling attack seems to be well below par, it is unclear whether the pacer will play in the next Test.