Young added to New Zealand squad for England Tests

New Zealand tour of England, 2026
Last updated on Sat, Jun 13, 2026 • 10:44 AM

Will Young has been added to New Zealand's squad for the remaining two Tests against England following Kane Williamson's retirement midway through the series.

Young is set to arrive in the UK on June 14 and will begin training with the squad on Monday ahead of the second Test at The Oval, which starts on June 17.

The 33-year-old last played a Test in December 2025 but was overlooked for the England tour. Since making his debut in December 2020, Young has featured in only 23 Tests. Despite never enjoying an extended run in the team, he has given a good account of himself batting in the top-three.

One of his standout achievements came during New Zealand's historic 3-0 sweep of India in India in 2024. Batting at No. 3 in the absence of Kane Williamson, he was named Player of the Series after scoring 244 runs in six innings, having negotiated India's spinners on challenging surfaces with remarkable ease.

Williamson said he will stick around with the squad for "a little bit" before stepping away.

"I'll be around for a little bit but yeah, giving the team a bit of space," Williamson had said in his retirement press conference. "It's delicate. In the team it's news to some of them and to a lot of them and it's a change, so we'll just cross that bridge over the next few days.

"There's growth there too, I've been a part of the furniture for quite a while and there's many leaders in that group and I remember the day when other leaders in our team left and there's steps to take and I think me stepping away allows that as well."