Wellington [New Zealand], August 15 (ANI): New Zealand selector Sam Wells has stepped down from his role in a massive change of guard in the country's men's cricket, announced the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday.

Wells has filled the crucial selection position for the Kiwis' men's side for almost two years and has overseen a transition period for the team that has seen long-time coach Gary Stead depart and former skipper Tim Southee retire from Test cricket.

During his tenure, Wells saw New Zealand register a historic 3-0 Test triumph over India away from home last year and reach the final of the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year, but the 41-year-old has decided to stand down from his position to concentrate on his own work commitments.

'Serving as selection manager for the Black Caps over the past two years has been a tremendous privilege,' Wells said as quoted by the ICC.

'I am deeply grateful to NZC (New Zealand Cricket) for the opportunity to contribute to the national side.'

'It has been an honour to work alongside the dedicated coaches, talented players, and committed support staff around New Zealand.

'While I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the role, I have made the difficult decision to step down in order to prioritise my personal and professional commitments outside of cricket.

'I remain a proud supporter of the Black Caps and will continue to cheer the team on as they build toward future success,' he concluded.

Recently, New Zealand secured a 2-0 Test series win over Zimbabwe away from home, winning the second Test by an innings and 359 runs, their biggest Test win ever.

Also in July, they secured the T20I tri-nation series against Zimbabwe and South Africa in Zimbabwe, beating the Proteas in a nail-biting final by three runs.

Their next assignment will be a three-match T20I series against rivals Australia at home from October 1 onwards. It would be followed by a white-ball series against England at home, consisting of three T20Is and ODIs each in the same month. (ANI)