Captaincy row rages as New Zealand head to S Africa

Taylor himself has accused NZC of lying by saying he was initally asked to stay on as Test captain when told before the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month that the team's leadership would be changed.

Dominion Post columnist Mark Reason said Taylor was New Zealand's only Test-class batsman, averaging 43.45, and slammed the way he had been treated.

"Whatever happened to loyalty? New Zealand Cricket has shamed us all," he wrote.

However Taylor, who presided over a string of disappointing results in his 16 months as captain, has also faced criticism, with the New Zealand Herald's Chris Rattue accusing him of abandoning a team that desperately needs him.

"(He) is starting to come across as a prima donna," Rattue wrote, saying the South Africa tour was looming as a potential disaster without him.

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