Black Caps 2026 wishlist: Kane Williamson hits magic mark and transtasman redemption - Opinion

A Tom Blundell ton in Melbourne aside, New Zealand returned home with their tails between their legs, with their best chance at winning a series against Australia since 1985-86 wasted.

This time around though things will (we hope) be different.

For a start, the Black Caps play four tests instead of three. And while the hopes of 2019 were built on how good New Zealand were, this year’s attempt can centre on an Australian side in transition, even after a convincing 4-1 Ashes win over England.

When the first ball is bowled in Perth, Australia will have hoped to have found an opening pair after Usman Khawaja’s retirement and question marks over incumbent Jake Weatherald. Steve Smith will be 37 years old, if he’s still playing, while Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green have been far from convincing.

In the bowling ranks, Mitchell Starc will be preparing to turn 36 and Nathan Lyon will have just turned 39. What’s more, there are no guarantees over the fitness of captain Pat Cummins, who was limited to just one Ashes test after hotspots – the precursor to stress fractures – were found in his back, while Josh Hazlewood hasn’t been able to string together a full summer in recent memory.

On the other side of the coin, New Zealand will have a settled side for the most part, even as this golden generation of players enters its final throes.

Winning a test series in Australia is one of the hardest things to do in cricket. But if the hosts enter with as many question marks as they currently have, the Black Caps could be primed for a rare tilt at success on Aussie soil.

539 runs. That’s all that stands between Kane Williamson, and taking a place he rightfully deserves in the halls of test cricket’s all-time greats.

In the history of the game, no New Zealand batter has ever reached the fabled mark of 10,000 test runs. Entering 2026, Williamson currently sits on 9481, and in touching distance of going where no Kiwi ever has.

The only issue is that there has never been a cricketer less obsessed with stats than Williamson.

Turning 36 this year, Williamson has said his future is “series by series” and that being present for his young family – having been an international cricketer since 2010 – is now his main priority.

The Black Caps will play a total of 10 tests in 2026, four against Australia, three against England, two against India and a token one against Ireland – which Williamson will likely miss as it clashes with his Indian Premier League consultancy role with Lucknow Super Giants.

Realistically, that leaves Williamson with nine tests to score 539 runs, at an average of just under 60 per game if he’s to hit the mark.

Reaching 10,000 test runs is well within Williamson’s grasp, while also considering that cricket’s modern landscape means it’s more than likely no other Kiwi will ever get close to whatever total he finishes on.

The only question now, then, is how bad does he want it?

After a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Australia, England’s next test commitments come against the Black Caps at the start of June.

The Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes movement was brutally exposed, by failing to beat India at home, before having their pants pulled down by the Aussies.

Speculation is rife over whether or not McCullum and managing director Rob Key will remain in their jobs, given the scale of the defeat, and the clear cultural issues within English cricket, where players have been accused of taking their privileged positions for granted.

After building a team environment that seems to be more focused on drinking and golf than training, McCullum has said he is open to potential changes in how England go about test cricket, but won’t divert from his core beliefs.

If and when McCullum and Stokes do get the chance to respond, the Black Caps will be first up to experience whatever England do next.

In 2022, when McCullum was first appointed, New Zealand were on the receiving end of the new England, and were handed a 3-0 whitewash, even if they did get their own back a year later with a one-run win in Wellington.

Now, provided a full-strength Black Caps side takes the field at Lord’s on June 4, New Zealand can’t waste the chance to make sure things get a whole lot worse for England, especially with vital World Test Championship points on the line.

Since his international debut in early 2020, Kyle Jamieson has been limited to just 63 internationals across formats, with just 19 of them being tests.

In early 2024, a back stress fracture saw the now-31-year-old ruled out for more than a year as he underwent surgery and remodelling of his bowling action.

The great shame in all of it is that, at his best, Jamieson has proven to be the Black Caps’ most successful bowler in test cricket, with 80 wickets at an average of less than 20.

There are no questions over Jamieson’s ability, only his fitness. This summer has seen his impact restricted to white ball cricket, given NZ Cricket’s want to see him build his bowling loads to be in the best shape for what 2026 brings.

Jamieson’s absence has seen the Black Caps’ pace stocks develop significantly with Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy and Will O’Rourke proving to be match-winners in his absence.

Adding Jamieson to that list, though, adds another dimension to an already fearsome seam attack.

With the amount of cricket that’s played across formats these days, having a fully stocked bowling unit is a rarity, given the related injuries that come with it.

But if Kyle Jamieson can stay on the park for even half of New Zealand’s fixtures this year, the Black Caps will be all the better for it.

If there’s one criticism of the Black Caps’ new coaching regime under Rob Walter, it’s been conservatism in selection.

In the batting ranks in particular, New Zealand’s first-choice top six consists of five players aged 33 or older. Outside of that, the next cabs off the rank are Will Young (33) and Henry Nicholls (34).

Make no mistake, the test squad in particular is a largely settled group, with a huge emphasis on culture and being backed to succeed.

But unless selectors act fast to blood new talent sooner rather than later, there is a very real chance that the Black Caps’ batting stocks will see retirements en masse – as was the case from 2006 to 2008 – and leave Rachin Ravindra as the last man standing.

That’s not to say there isn’t talent coming through. The likes of Rhys Mariu and Curtis Heaphy have shown the ability to score big in the Plunket Shield, while Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson have done the same in the T20 Super Smash.

Given Indian Premier League commitments for Williamson and Ravindra in particular, the one-off test against Ireland looms as an opportunity for fresh faces to be given a go.

However, as Walter insists that the New Zealand A side will be used as the breeding ground for players to prove their worth for test cricket, fans could be forced to wait for the next crop of batters to come through.

While any other sport would see a World Cup right at the top of any wishlist, cricket’s fudged calendar sees much less weight on the fourth T20 World Cup since 2021.

Given the fact that global tournaments only exist to allow for the ICC to fudge together white ball matches between India and Pakistan, with at least one per year until 2031 at the earliest, this year’s T20 World Cup reeks of overkill, and the chance to fill the coffers.

After their failure in 2024, the Black Caps face Afghanistan, South Africa, the UAE and Canada in their group, needing a top-two finish to progress to the Super Eight stage.

If that doesn’t eventuate, though, there’s a 50-Over World Cup next year, and T20 World Cup on Kiwi shores in 2028 to have another go at.

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.