WELLINGTON — Ross Taylor will take a break from cricket after rejecting an offer to remain captain of New Zealand's Test team but give up the role in the shorter forms of the game, New Zealand Cricket said Friday. Wicketkeeper batsman Brendon McCullum, who had been tapped to lead the one-day and Twenty20 sides, will take on all three roles and faces a baptism of fire with upcoming series against top-ranked South Africa and England. The announcement capped days of speculation about Taylor's tenure, with local media reporting a split between head coach Mike Hesson and the 28-year-old batsman. New Zealand Cricket boss David White said Hesson had recommended Taylor step down from the captaincy of the shorter formats as part of a review following the team's tour of Sri Lanka, where it drew a two-Test series 1-1. “We regret that Ross Taylor has declined the opportunity, therefore McCullum has been appointed as Blackcaps captain for all three forms of the game,” White told reporters at a media conference in Auckland. “He thought about it long and hard and he said that he would like a break to spend time with his family and we've agreed to that and we respect it.” Taylor's decision robs New Zealand of their top batsman for at least the two-test tour of South Africa later this month and adds to the team's woes with former skipper Daniel Vettori almost certain to miss out due to a lingering Achilles injury. Domingo steps in for Kirsten in South Africa Russell Domingo will take over from Gary Kirsten as coach of South Africa's Twenty20 team for upcoming series against New Zealand and Pakistan. Domingo, who is already part of the Proteas coaching set-up, will stand in for Kirsten for three T20 games against New Zealand this month and two against Pakistan in March. Watson to bat at No. 4 Shane Watson said Friday he will be given the first chance to fill the vacancy in Australia's batting order left by Ricky Ponting's retirement and bat at No. 4 in next week's first Test against Sri Lanka. Recalled Phillip Hughes is expected to bat at first drop in a re-jigged Australian top order for the Hobart Test, starting next Friday. On the same day skipper Michael Clarke, speaking to reporters in Sydney, suggested the Test batting line-up was still undecided, vice captain Watson confirmed in Brisbane that he would drop down one spot to No. 4 in the Australian order. “(Coach) Mickey Arthur talked to me at the end of the last Test to say the way it was looking, they were going to move me down to four,” Watson told reporters. “It's taken me a few days to get my head around that, but it means I can bowl a few more overs.” — Agencies
