The captain urges the team not to get carried away by recent success as they seek the number one spot in the tests.
Kane Williamson has started the new year as the # 1 test hitter and his New Zealand team could become the new # 1 test team if they beat Pakistan in the second test in Christchurch. Williamson, however, played down those thoughts, saying those benchmarks won’t distract the team in their last test this summer at home.
“Every game you play, every test you play, any chance to win a test you want to do, but to get to those positions naturally there is a lot of hard work, from the first period of play to maybe the end of the game, so for us that’s the approach, “Williamson said on the eve of the Christchurch test.
When asked if he ever wondered if he would become the top-ranked test hitter by captaining a potentially top-ranked team, Williamson gave credit to New Zealand’s core group that has evolved over the years since he made his debut in tests in Ahmedabad in 2010.
“I guess when you start out as a young player, you want to find your feet and understand the group you’re in,” Williamson said. I guess anyone who has the opportunity to play a test for their country or any format maybe … I think there is something special about the test. [cricket] And wearing that baggy is such an amazing thing and one that you certainly never assume. Whenever that moment comes or if that moment comes, it is just a complete surprise and a fantastic moment to perhaps fast-forward to several years and the focus shifts from the first trial to being involved in a group, a fairly consistent group for such a number of years. And trying to be a part of moving that team forward is a different approach and a really enjoyable challenge to engage in.
As the current group captain, Williamson has overseen New Zealand’s dominance at home. They have been undefeated in their last 16 home tests dating back to 2017, but Williamson refused to look back as a “race.” Instead, he praised the team for their consistency and urged them not to get carried away by recent success.
“Looking back, we were competitive at times, but certainly not all the time,” Williamson said. And the team has come a long way in terms of bringing an element of coherence mainly to their behaviors, which I think has been really important, simple values that are important for our group and for the Kiwis, simple things that we want to commit to day a day. -on day.
“That is not always reflected in that the performance is perfect, it is very rarely perfect, but it can certainly help a team to grow, and has helped the team move in that direction. But, now we are on the eve of another game, where anything can happen. It’s about undoing and focusing on what’s important to the group and continuing to look at the big picture and how we can continue the trend in the right direction, facing the challenges that we continue to face. “
About six years ago, Brendon McCullum’s ODI team turned a rugby-mad nation into a cricket-loving nation with their impressive performances at the 2015 World Cup at home. Now, the Williamson test team is on the verge of something special in their own backyard, and they hoped the New Zealand public would be pleased with their success.
“Yeah, I hope you guys enjoy watching it and that sort of thing,” Williamson said. “For us, it is important that we play the best we can. This game that we play is fickle and it doesn’t always happen that way and winning test matches is very difficult. We certainly respect that and we know how challenging it is against any international opposition. So So we want to keep starting over and committing ourselves to what’s important to our group and maintaining the behaviors that are important to the team. And we hope it connects with the New Zealand public. “
Deivarayan Muthu is deputy editor of ESPNcricinfo
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