Latest news with #KaneWilliamson
1News
2 days ago
- Sport
- 1News
Kane Williamson unlikely for Black Caps' Zimbabwe tour
Former Black Caps captain Kane Williamson is unlikely to tour Zimbabwe for a two-test series starting in July, after opting out of a central contract for a second year running. However, he says he will continue to be available for the national team without being obliged to play, adding that he is still passionate about playing for his country. Williamson has arrived in London for a stint with Middlesex in the County Championship and the T20 Blast, and with London Spirit in The Hundred. He will be play in at least 10 T20 matches and five County Championship matches, through to September. Black Caps coach Gary Stead has indicated he doesn't expect Williamson to be available for the Zimbabwe tests — in Bulawayo, starting on July 30 and August 7, following seven T20 matches in Harare. In interviews on his arrival at Middlesex, Williamson has indicated that spending time his family with will be his priority outside of his cricket commitments. His wife Sarah, who is English, and their three children are with him in England. ADVERTISEMENT "It worked well last year, and obviously I'm in close conversations with New Zealand cricket, and the relationship is strong, but the landscape's changing really fast." he told The Guardian. The situation of not being on a central contract was still evolving for both parties, he said. "Yeah, we're still learning how to do it," he says. "The landscape keeps changing with the different challenges that we're presented with as cricketers. It's a work in progress. But New Zealand Cricket have been great to work with on it, I've been fortunate with that." Williamson opted out of some Black Caps series in the past year, including the tours of Bangladesh and India. The 34-year-old said he had done reflective thinking following the retirement from test cricket of India star Virat Kohli. The pair, Joe Root and Steve Smith were once dubbed the "Fab Four'' by the late Martin Crowe in an ESPN Cricinfo article. "My first thought was 'oh gosh, there's an end point'," Williamson said. "Because before that, you're on the journey, there's a pursuit there. And it's not connected to those other three, but we've all been playing at the same time, and we've all competed against each other for a long time and we all know each other pretty well. So then you do start to reflect a little bit. "I know Virat pretty well, we've chatted a lot over the years, but you do realise that we're not just cricketers as well, we're human beings and your life situation changes." ADVERTISEMENT
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘My first thought was ‘oh gosh, there's an end point': One of ‘Fab Four', Kane Williamson shares his thoughts on Virat Kohli's Test retirement
Being one of the 'Fab Four', a term coined by former New Zealand Captain Martin Crowe first in 2014 for the quartet of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Steve Smith, Kiwi batsman Kane Williamson currently stands at the third highest run scorer among the four batsmen in Tests. While Kohli retired earlier this month after playing 123 Tests and amassing 9,230 runs, Williamson has played in 105 tests amassing 9,276 runs and is currently behind Smith's tally of 10,271 runs (116 Tests) and Root's tally of 13,006 runs (153 Tests). With the rest of the three of the 'Fab Four' batsmen still playing in Tests, 34-year-old Williamson has revealed how Kohli's retirement, a first among the four, made him wonder about having 'an end point'. 'My first thought was 'oh gosh, there's an end point. Because before that, you're on the journey, there's a pursuit there. And it's not connected to those other three, but we've all been playing at the same time, and we've all competed against each other for a long time and we all know each other pretty well. So then you do start to reflect a little bit. I know Virat pretty well, we've chatted a lot over the years, but you do realise that we're not just cricketers as well, we're human beings and your life situation changes.' Williamson told The Guardian in an interview. Williamson, who has a Test average of 54.88 runs, currently stands at 17th spot in the list of world's leading Test run scorers with Sachin Tendulkar sitting at the top with 15,921 runs. The Kiwi cricketer has arrived in England to play for Middlesex in the Vitality Blast as well County Championship and has shared his memories of playing country cricket in England. 'Summer's always got a nice buzz here in the UK and especially in London, so it's great to call it home for a few months. I know I really valued my time in England actually playing county cricket as a young player, getting exposed and having to learn. You're just constantly having to try and work things out but getting so many opportunities to do it. Whereas in most other parts of the world you're playing half as many games a year,' added Williamson. New Zealand will next play an international match when the team travels to Zimbabwe for a T20I series involving hosts Zimbabwe apart from South Africa and New Zealand in July before they play a two Test series against Zimbabwe. The 34-year-old also talked about how he sees red-ball cricket as 'the soul of the game'. 'The opportunities now are vast and that's an amazing thing. But my passion was for the red-ball game, that was the pinnacle, and that's where my aspirations were, growing up. I guess on the other side, you have the white-ball formats and they come and they go pretty quickly and there's so much of it going on, which presents a lot of fantastic opportunities, but yeah, when I talk about the soul of the game I still see that as the red-ball cricket,' said Williamson.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Kane Williamson unlikely for Black Caps' Zimbabwe tour
Kane Williamson is in England for a northern summer stint with Middlesex. File photo Photo: PHOTOSPORT Former Black Caps captain Kane Williamson is unlikely to tour Zimbabwe for a two-test series starting in July, after opting out of a central contract for a second year running. However, he says he will continue to be available for the national team without being obliged to play, adding that he is still passionate about playing for his country. Williamson has arrived in London for a stint with Middlesex in the County Championship and the T20 Blast, and with London Spirit in The Hundred. He will be play in at least 10 T20 matches and five County Championship matches, through to September. Black Caps coach Gary Stead has indicated he doesn't expect Williamson to be available for the Zimbabwe tests - which will be held in Bulawayo, starting on 30 July and 7 August, following seven T20 matches in Harare. In interviews on his arrival at Middlesex, Williamson has indicated that spending time his family with will be his priority outside of his cricket commitments. His wife Sarah, who is English, and their three children are with him in England. "It worked well last year, and obviously I'm in close conversations with New Zealand cricket, and the relationship is strong, but the landscape's changing really fast." he told The Guardian . The situation of not being on a central contract was still evolving for both parties, he said. "Yeah, we're still learning how to do it," he says. "The landscape keeps changing with the different challenges that we're presented with as cricketers. It's a work in progress. But New Zealand Cricket have been great to work with on it, I've been fortunate with that." Williamson opted out of some Black Caps series in the past year, including the tours of Bangladesh and India. The 34-year-old said he had done reflective thinking following the retirement from test cricket of India star Virat Kohli . The pair, Joe Root and Steve Smith were once dubbed the "Fab Four'' by the late Martin Crowe in an ESPN Cricinfo article. "My first thought was 'oh gosh, there's an end point'," Williamson says. "Because before that, you're on the journey, there's a pursuit there. And it's not connected to those other three, but we've all been playing at the same time, and we've all competed against each other for a long time and we all know each other pretty well. So then you do start to reflect a little bit. "I know Virat pretty well, we've chatted a lot over the years, but you do realise that we're not just cricketers as well, we're human beings and your life situation changes." - RNZ Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Red-ball cricket is the soul of the game': Kane Williamson joins Middlesex
The world's third-best Test batsman has made a quiet arrival in London for the beginning of a four-month stint in county cricket. Middlesex made headlines recently by saying they were keen to sign Virat Kohli. Maybe next year. This one, they've got his friend and contemporary Kane Williamson who, with his gear stuffed into a Karachi Kings kit bag, was picked up from the airport by his new captain, Steve Eskinazi, on Wednesday morning then went straight to training on the Nursery Ground before the game against Sussex in the Blast on Thursday night. Williamson should do plenty for Middlesex's middle order, but maybe not quite so much for the viewing figures their live stream brings in on the subcontinent. Still, it feels like a coup for county cricket. It has been made possible by the support of MCC, who are paying a part of the 34-year-old's fee so that he can double up playing for London Spirit in the Hundred. To commit to spending the summer in England, Williamson has had to turn down another central contract with New Zealand, who are going on tour in Zimbabwe in July and August. Instead, he says, he will continue the arrangement he has had for the past 12 months, where he is available to play for the national team without being obliged to when their fixtures clash with other commitments. 'It worked well last year, and obviously I'm in close conversations with New Zealand cricket, and the relationship is strong, but the landscape's changing really fast.' Williamson is in the odd position of being a part of their team, and apart from their team. 'Yeah, we're still learning how to do it,' he says. 'The landscape keeps changing with the different challenges that we're presented with as cricketers. It's a work in progress. But New Zealand Cricket have been great to work with on it, I've been fortunate with that.' To be blunt, the economics of the game mean they don't have much choice. Williamson, so adept at pacing an innings, is trying to work out how best to thread his way through the years he has left in the game he plays so well. Eleven years ago, his compatriot Martin Crowe named Williamson, Kohli, Joe Root and Steve Smith the 'Fab Four' in a famous article for ESPN Cricinfo. All these years later Kohli – who is 36 – has just become the first of them to announce his retirement from Test cricket, a decision which, Williamson says, caused him to do a little reflective thinking himself. 'My first thought was 'oh gosh, there's an end point',' he says. 'Because before that, you're on the journey, there's a pursuit there. And it's not connected to those other three, but we've all been playing at the same time, and we've all competed against each other for a long time and we all know each other pretty well. So then you do start to reflect a little bit. I know Virat pretty well, we've chatted a lot over the years, but you do realise that we're not just cricketers as well, we're human beings and your life situation changes.' Unlike Kohli, Williamson still wants to play red-ball cricket. But he also has a young family to look after. They have come over with him. 'Summer's always got a nice buzz here in the UK and especially in London, so it's great to call it home for a few months.' You guess it makes a welcome change from making an itinerant living on tour, or the T20 circuit. He is looking forward to playing four or five championship matches. He says the competition helped make him into the player he is. 'I know I really valued my time in England actually playing county cricket as a young player, getting exposed and having to learn. You're just constantly having to try and work things out but getting so many opportunities to do it. Whereas in most other parts of the world you're playing half as many games a year. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion 'The opportunities now are vast and that's an amazing thing. But my passion was for the red-ball game, that was the pinnacle, and that's where my aspirations were, growing up,' he says. 'I guess on the other side, you have the white-ball formats and they come and they go pretty quickly and there's so much of it going on, which presents a lot of fantastic opportunities, but yeah, when I talk about the soul of the game I still see that as the red-ball cricket.' Go catch him at it if you can. It's not clear how many more who think, or play, the same way will come along after he's gone.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Red-ball cricket is the soul of the game': Kane Williamson joins Middlesex
Kane Williamson in the nets at the Nursery Ground at Lord's on Wednesday, after he was picked up at the airport by Middlesex captain Steve Eskinazi. Kane Williamson in the nets at the Nursery Ground at Lord's on Wednesday, after he was picked up at the airport by Middlesex captain Steve Eskinazi. Photograph: Ray Lawrence/TGS Photo/Shutterstock The world's third-best Test batsman has made a quiet arrival in London for the beginning of a four-month stint in county cricket. Middlesex made headlines recently by saying they were keen to sign Virat Kohli. Maybe next year. This one, they've got his friend and contemporary Kane Williamson who, with his gear stuffed into a Karachi Kings kit bag, was picked up from the airport by his new captain, Steve Eskinazi, on Wednesday morning then went straight to training on the Nursery Ground before the game against Sussex in the Blast on Thursday night. Williamson should do plenty for Middlesex's middle order, but maybe not quite so much for the viewing figures their live stream brings in on the subcontinent. Still, it feels like a coup for county cricket. It has been made possible by the support of MCC, who are paying a part of the 34-year-old's fee so that he can double up playing for London Spirit in the Hundred. Advertisement To commit to spending the summer in England, Williamson has had to turn down another central contract with New Zealand, who are going on tour in Zimbabwe in July and August. Instead, he says, he will continue the arrangement he has had for the past 12 months, where he is available to play for the national team without being obliged to when their fixtures clash with other commitments. 'It worked well last year, and obviously I'm in close conversations with New Zealand cricket, and the relationship is strong, but the landscape's changing really fast.' Williamson is in the odd position of being a part of their team, and apart from their team. 'Yeah, we're still learning how to do it,' he says. 'The landscape keeps changing with the different challenges that we're presented with as cricketers. It's a work in progress. But New Zealand Cricket have been great to work with on it, I've been fortunate with that.' To be blunt, the economics of the game mean they don't have much choice. Related: Jimmy Anderson: 'I know my body has got a certain amount of deliveries left in it' Williamson, so adept at pacing an innings, is trying to work out how best to thread his way through the years he has left in the game he plays so well. Eleven years ago, his compatriot Martin Crowe named Williamson, Kohli, Joe Root and Steve Smith the 'Fab Four' in a famous article for ESPN Cricinfo. All these years later Kohli – who is 36 – has just become the first of them to announce his retirement from Test cricket, a decision which, Williamson says, caused him to do a little reflective thinking himself. Advertisement 'My first thought was 'oh gosh, there's an end point',' he says. 'Because before that, you're on the journey, there's a pursuit there. And it's not connected to those other three, but we've all been playing at the same time, and we've all competed against each other for a long time and we all know each other pretty well. So then you do start to reflect a little bit. I know Virat pretty well, we've chatted a lot over the years, but you do realise that we're not just cricketers as well, we're human beings and your life situation changes.' Unlike Kohli, Williamson still wants to play red-ball cricket. But he also has a young family to look after. They have come over with him. 'Summer's always got a nice buzz here in the UK and especially in London, so it's great to call it home for a few months.' You guess it makes a welcome change from making an itinerant living on tour, or the T20 circuit. He is looking forward to playing four or five championship matches. He says the competition helped make him into the player he is. 'I know I really valued my time in England actually playing county cricket as a young player, getting exposed and having to learn. You're just constantly having to try and work things out but getting so many opportunities to do it. Whereas in most other parts of the world you're playing half as many games a year. 'The opportunities now are vast and that's an amazing thing. But my passion was for the red-ball game, that was the pinnacle, and that's where my aspirations were, growing up,' he says. Advertisement 'I guess on the other side, you have the white-ball formats and they come and they go pretty quickly and there's so much of it going on, which presents a lot of fantastic opportunities, but yeah, when I talk about the soul of the game I still see that as the red-ball cricket.' Go catch him at it if you can. It's not clear how many more who think, or play, the same way will come along after he's gone.
