Kane Williamson wants New Zealand to focus more on red-ball cricket

Kane Williamson doesn’t like New Zealand Cricket’s idea of a reduced Plunket Shield – the domestic first-class tournament in New Zealand. NZC are pondering upon cutting the first class rounds to 5 from the existing 10 for the next season in wake of the forthcoming 50-over World Cup and World T20 tournaments.

Williamson wants NZC to take heed from County cricket

Williamson has contrasting views on the same. The 27-year old has called for giving more importance to the longest format of the game in order to groom young cricketers. Williamson, who has spent a couple of seasons in England playing for Gloucestershire and Yorkshire, said that a robust domestic first-class structure is absolutely necessary to nurture talent.

“The Plunket Shield format [of 10 rounds] is very important,” Williamson told New Zealand Herald on Saturday (September 2). “Having experienced the county championship in England, which has 16 four-dayers a season, I see so much value in that competition for the development of cricketers.

“The more cricket you’re exposed to, and particularly in the longer format, the more you get an understanding of your game. Players then adapt as the game gets shorter.

“In England, you see young guys, maybe 26 years of age, who might’ve played 100 first-class games. They have marked ‘centre’ that many times and have so many failures and successes that it helps them learn and mature quicker.”

NZC chief wants New Zealand to prepare for ICC tournaments

The NZC chief executive David White had contrasting views. He wants the national team to get ready for the huge amount of white-ball cricket ahead in the next four years.

“If we’ve got in a four-year period of two World T20s and a 50-over World Cup and two Test-match competitions, what is the right mix of cricket domestically to ensure we’re competitive at international level?” asked David White, the NZC chief executive, said last month.

Limited Tests in FTP of the Kiwis

The Kiwis have played just five Tests this year with the last one being the rained-off Test match against the visiting South Africans in March. They aren’t scheduled to don the white fennels till they host West Indies and England in December 2017 and February 2018 respectively. Both of these series will consist of 2 Tests each after which they travel to play the Pakistanis in the UAE in October. This means that since March 2017, the Kiwis will play just 7 Tests in the next 20 months compared to 21 ODIs and 9 T20I in the same period, which is a bit concerning for Williamson.

The Kiwi skipper, who is currently No. 2 in the latest Test rankings, said that he is due to be a part of a few discussions soon and will be vocal about his thoughts on the longest format of the game. “I know I’ll be part of a few discussions in the next week, but I’m a big advocate of the Test game, so I’m open to new ways to keep it attractive and at the forefront of international cricket,” he said. “Many of those I talk to still believe it is the pinnacle of the sport because it challenges you in so many ways, and that mindset underlines the importance of the domestic first-class game.”