Captaincy door left slightly ajar
Kane Williamson wants to continue as the Black Caps captain in all three formats, though he did float the possibility of change if it’s felt it will help the team.
The skipper is midway through his fourth summer at the helm in tests, oneday internationals, and Twenty20s, and is coming off a test series loss to Australia, where his failures with the bat – scoring 34, 14, 9 and 0 – were a major factor in the team’s failure as a collective.
But with former captain Brendon McCullum wondering whether he has lost some of his love for the game, the subject of Williamson’s workload – and its impact on his form – was placed front and centre by the end of the tour.
If there was a format in which he could step back, Twenty20 would be it. He didn’t play in the team’s last two series – a win away against Sri Lanka in September and a loss via a super over at home against England in November – and his absence was hardly felt, with Tim Seifert slotting into the top three and even offering a bit more explosiveness.
Yet there he was yesterday afternoon, fronting the pre-series press conference on the eve of the first of five Twenty20 clashes with India, taking place at Eden Park tonight.
Though it’s not exactly his style, there was no full-throated defence of his position, and no declaration that he was still madly in love with the game. As it often is with the modern Black Caps, it was about what’s best for the team.
‘‘I do feel fortunate to be leading such a great group of guys that share a similar passion, which is to keep moving this team forward,’’ Williamson said.
‘‘I’m not the only one that is trying to lead that – there are a number of other guys, senior players and some younger guys who obviously share the passion, and that’s encouraged in the group.
‘‘The leadership thing is a collective approach . . . it is enjoyable and you do learn so much about yourself and about the team.
‘‘Without a doubt there are a number of challenges that come throughout that period that you are in the job, and I’ve been in it for some time now, and you are forever dealing with those challenges.
‘‘It’s part and parcel of the job, but for me the focus is very much helping the team to grow and move in the right direction.’’
New Zealand Cricket bosses have paid lip service to the idea of having different captains for different formats – saying it would be something to discuss as part of the standard post-tour review process – and Williamson didn’t exactly slam the door shut on the idea.
‘‘For me it’s always been about what’s best for the team,’’ he said.
‘‘If those discussions are to eventuate and collectively there’s a thought that it would be best for the team, then my stance is whatever is right and fits the group.
‘‘I’m always open to whatever is going to move the team in those directions.’’
A strong defence of Williamson’s ability to captain in all three formats came from Virat Kohli, who does the same for India and was asked how he copes with the challenge.
‘‘These kinds of things do come up every now and then, whenever you have a setback. I think it’s a part of having that responsibility of captaining in all three formats,’’ Kohli said. ‘‘One thing that I have done is I just focus on what I can do for the team and the vision that needs to be there to take the team forward.
‘‘I don’t think leadership can always be determined by the results. It’s also about how you can get the team together and get the guys functioning under you as well, which I think Kane has done wonderfully well.
‘‘He has the respect of his team-mates and he has the trust of his team-mates, is what I can see, and he’s also a very, very smart cricketer.
‘‘If a team outplays you, you have to accept it as a collective failure, and not a lack of leadership or captaincy, is what I think.
‘‘People get onto that side of things too early and sometimes I think it is better to let the individual decide himself. If you have given him the responsibility, I am sure he will decide whether he is good enough for the job any more or not as well.’’