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Kane Williamson walked out of international cricket in June and collected a trophy in August. The interesting part is that his entire career so far has happened within one company.

His exit was abrupt. He retired from international cricket effective immediately, midway through New Zealand’s three-Test series, having made 0 and 18 in the defeat in the first Test at Lord’s and decided not to play the remaining fixtures.

“I’ve thought about it for a while, but over the last few days it’s become clear now is the right time.”

He leaves behind the largest body of work New Zealand batting has produced. He finishes as New Zealand’s highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 9515 runs in 110 matches, and captained the side in 40 Tests, 91 ODIs and 75 T20Is.

One month later, a coaching job

In July, Manchester Super Giants named the 35-year-old their men’s team batting coach ahead of The Hundred, the franchise announcing it on X with the line “Charisma. Coolness. Kane.”

It went well. Manchester Super Giants beat Trent Rockets in the final at Lord’s, 162 for 5 against 158 for 8, winning by 5 wickets, the club’s first title.

Three teams, three countries, one owner

This is the part worth noticing. Manchester is not a standalone employer, and Williamson did not arrive there from outside the family.

He had already been the Lucknow Super Giants’ strategic advisor during the IPL’s recently concluded 19th edition, and before that, per the same report, he played for Durban Super Giants, part of the same ownership group as Manchester, in this year’s SA20.

So a player retires, and the group that employed him in India and South Africa gives him his first coaching role in England, in a competition it now part-owns. Whatever else the multi-league franchise model has changed, it has built a career ladder that runs across three countries without ever leaving the same boardroom. For a recently retired batter with no coaching record, that is an easier path than any national board could offer.

And a book

He is also preparing to publish an autobiography later this year. His own account is characteristically low-key: writing a book was not something he ever imagined doing, though he admits he has taken a lot from the process, spending months reflecting on experiences that shaped him.