Kane Williamson is the antithesis of everything the Indian Premier League and Twenty20 cricket are about. Understated both in persona and with the bat, as opposed to the IPL’s glitz, glamour and loudness, Williamson is a quiet and cool leader in the most demanding T20 league. He brings an old-world charm to the neo-richness of the game. You will not get towering sixes but his class speaks for itself, as was evident in the 2018 season, when he captained the SunRisers Hyderabad to the playoffs, scoring a whopping 735 runs in the process. Above all, Williamson brings to the IPL his growing stature as one of the finest ambassadors of the game.
SRH has consistently made it to the playoffs of the IPL in recent years; they won the title in 2016. The captaincy mantle has been returned to David Warner. But Williamson, Warner and Jonny Bairstow will be expected to shoulder most of the run-scoring responsibilities this year in the UAE. With the change in the SRH coaching staff, it remains to be seen how World Cup-winning coach Trevor Bayliss will use the Kiwi for maximum impact.
In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Williamson opens up about being in the bio-bubble, his thoughts on SRH’s preparations and also the ill-fated 2019 ICC World Cup final. Lastly, the statesman in him makes it clear that he, for one, is not a supporter of ‘Mankading’. Excerpts:
Q/ How is the experience of being in the IPL bio-bubble, cut off from the outside world?
A/ It is pretty unusual for all cricketers and [it is my] first experience of the bio-bubble. Sports around the world are doing something similar. It is also great that the tournament can go ahead. It is definitely nice to get out after six days of quarantine to catch up with the team and have some social interaction.
Q/ A lot of players have not played competitive cricket since March. How do you prepare for a high-intensity competition like the IPL after a long break?
A/ Yeah, it is a challenge as all the players have been in different situations in terms of their preparations. But I guess having such a long period away from the game and coming to the IPL a few weeks early, getting used to the conditions and the demands of the league has been something quite nice as well. There is no doubt as [the tournament] progresses that match fitness will improve. There is a lot of excitement to get back to cricket after such a long time.
Q/ How do you feel about your game mentally and physically going into the IPL?
A/ When Covid-19 struck NZ, we were towards the end of our season. We saw the lockdown as a break from cricket, with the schedule being so intense. Having said that, it allowed for a pre-season mentality which we had not had. We had a couple of camps to try and get the fitness levels up to where we would like them to be. But you also want to manage your preparation well so that when the time comes to play again, you are fresh and you have not overdone it. The training volume here (Dubai) is high. We have tried to strike that balance.
Q/ You scored over 700 runs in 17 matches in the 2018 season. What would you try to replicate to get those kinds of scores again?
A/ There have obviously been a number of changes here at SRH. The first thing is to get some clarity about my role. I am not captaining this year and the team has new players as well, so the balance always changes. I have to be clear about my role and make a big contribution. Rather than replicate things, it is about trying to prepare as well as I can and offer the team as much as I can with the bat. As well as support Davey (Warner) and the others in the team.
Q/ Glenn Turner mentioned in his book that coaches have taken a back seat, with the emergence of strong captains. Your thoughts?
A/ I think it is a really important relationship and without a doubt, there is a very important role for both captain and coach. The coach and captain drive the team and give it direction. It is important to have clarity and direction in the team, (and about) the style (in which) you want the team to play.
Q/ SRH has consistently made the playoffs. What does the team have to do to come up with similar results this time?
A/ The key over the last few years has been the ability to play as a team, having a number of contributions throughout the season and adapting to changing conditions, which will be important here again. The team was picked based on the tournament that was to be played in India. The conditions and environment here are different. We talk of our squad having changed, but that is also the case for the oppositions. To make adjustments quickly will be important.
Q/ How much of a challenge will it be for players to remain in the bio-bubble and do things as they would do on a normal tour?
A/ It will be a challenge. It is important for players to get out of their rooms and socialise. In India, there are whole travelling days. Here, it is about one-and-a-half hours by road. It will be important to come up with activities and options for players to get enjoyment on off days and to keep them fresh. It is a long time to be isolated. We are very fortunate that the hotels are brilliant. Franchises look after support staff and players very well. But the bio-bubble is unique. There will be something to address certainly when we see these [issues] surfacing further down the tournament.
Q/ Did the Covid-19 enforced break help purge memories of last year’s World Cup final?
A/ It was probably the first time since starting my international career that (I have had) a gap of four months. It was quite nice, getting into a new routine and not thinking a lot about cricket for four months. At home, spending a lot of time with family and friends and doing a few chores was really enjoyable. It was refreshing.
Q/ Do you still get stopped and asked about the World Cup?
A/ Sometimes. I suppose from the point of view of a viewer, it was one of the most amazing games to watch. They will probably make a movie out of it someday. But with the schedule that we have in cricket, the focus has to change quickly to what is next. And that has been a really good part of moving on from something like the World Cup [loss]. You cannot live in the past. You have got things right in front of you that you have to address and that is why we are here in Dubai and then there will be a summer of cricket in NZ and the T20 World Cups later. A lot of people watched the World Cup and felt strong emotions of how things unfolded. The special thing about sport is it does affect people and it is amazing that you get to be involved.
Q/ People credit you with making the NZ team and cricket a lot humbler, happier and kind. Do you like that description?
A/ People always have different opinions on what you do and how it should be done. As a team, the most important thing is to have an identity that is suited to the people involved in it. That is what we try and do, and we know if we are doing that day in and day out, then we can be proud of our efforts and know it was channelled in the right direction, rather than being somebody we have not been, which is a lot harder.
We work hard at what we do and the behaviour we try and uphold. We want to always improve on those as well, remind ourselves of what is important and ensure we do not stray too far from it. It is an ever-evolving thing. Every time the team changes or support staff changes, there are always certain elements that change with it and you have to just keep moving with the times.
Q/ Your thoughts on ‘Mankading’? R. Ashwin is a strong advocate but Ricky Ponting is not too comfortable with it.
A/ No, I certainly do not encourage it. That is not something that we look to do at all as a team. As I said, we have behaviours that are important to us as a group, and something like that does not fit with us, so that is my stance. However, if someone is looking to cheat, I think it would be worth having a quiet word with him and make sure the rules and spirit of the game are upheld. As ambassadors of the game, I think it is really important to stay within those lines.