Yes. His value should not be under-stated

Captain Kane Williamson should remain just that when New Zealand take the field in Twenty20 internationals. Talk over the past few days has been that Williamson isn’t a Twenty20 player. He should be left to focus on the longer formats, and allow New Zealand’s more dynamic batsmen take their mark for hit-and-giggle games. Let’s agree to disagree.

Williamson and Martin Guptill are playing for the same position in Twenty20 cricket. They both need to be opening. Quick maths: three doesn’t go into two, and Colin Munro’s not going anywhere, so somebody should be making way.

That somebody shouldn’t be Williamson, despite a dire performance against the Australians in Sydney.

A combination of good-to-great bowling from the Aussie quicks and an off-form Williamson combined for 8 runs from 21 balls, easily one of the worst Twenty20 innings you’ll ever see.

But one innings doesn’t define a cricketer like

Williamson.

You’re talking about a cricketer who averages 32 in

Twenty20 cricket, at a strike-rate of 120.43 (it was 122 before that Aussie debacle).

Granted, that is the slowest scoring rate of what I would deem world cricket’s world-class T20 merchants, just below KL Rahul of India at 129, and Guptill himself at 130.

But it’s important to look deeper and remember what role a batsman plays. Williamson isn’t a boundary hitter. He hits a boundary every 6.5 balls in Twenty20s, which is sluggish at best.

No, Williamson is a busy batsmen who looks to feed his batting partner.

He’s one of the best in the world in that regard and if teamed with Munro, a left-hander, that throws the bowlers.

That value can’t be understated.

You’re probably wondering, then, who would bat three in this hypothetical Twenty20 side?

Ross Taylor, a man who can anchor or blast it depending on orders, with Mark Chapman at four. Stack the side with power-hitters, capable of clearing any boundary. Give them the freedom to play their shots, be innovative and aggressive, relentless in their positivity, and leave Williamson in a spot that allows them thrive.

Oh, and Williamson bowls handy spin at a career economy rate of 7.9.

When you’ve got two of the game’s best in Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi bamboozling batsmen, to have a third quality option makes Williamson a genuine luxury.

‘‘Williamson is a busy batsmen who looks to feed his batting partner. He’s one of the best in the world in that regard.’’ Ben Strang