Kane Williamson – a man of his time and now of Middlesex

Kane Williamson made his first-class debut in 2007 and his Test debut in 2010. A lot has changed in the world of cricket since then. So, as Kane joins Middlesex to add valuable experience to their Blast and Championship campaigns, would he, given the chance, prefer to be starting his career as a young player now, rather than 15 years ago? The answer, delivered with the careful thought and consideration that so characterises Williamson, is a clear no. For all the financial gains and globe trotting opportunities that exist for players starting out in the game today, there is a strong sense of team ethic and traditional values for New Zealand’s all time leading Test run scorer.

Conscious that his first duties with Middlesex will be in the Blast, he relishes the innovation and challenges that the game’s shorter formats present. But the camaraderie and sense of belonging that come with long term commitments to club and country hold sway for Kane, who, one senses, is deeply imbued with traditional values.

Kane’s strong sense of family on and off the pitch

There have been a number of ‘marquee’ signings for Middlesex over the years, including the likes of Williamson’s countryman and now England coach Brendon McCullum, AB De Villiers, David Warner and Adam Gilchrist to name just four. All have contributed on the field (with hard hitting runs) and off (by putting bums on seats at Lords). None, however, got Middlesex the Trophy, or even to a Finals Day (where Middlesex have only found themselves once, back in 2008, joyously lifting the Blast Trophy on a sunny Southampton Day).  Williamson is conscious that Middlesex have underperformed in the Blast format, but he is passionate about his role being to “get to know everybody and add value where I can”. Once he has ‘got to know’ his new team mates, he will be, he says, “very happy to see where I can offer advice and support to bring on younger players and help them to be the best they can be for the team”.

When asked how good it would be to add a Blast ton for Middlesex to his one Test hundred at the Home of Cricket, his answer was delivered with a smile. “Definitely” he said, “but equally it’s about contributing in the right way and moving the team forward”. That sense of team ethos and being part of a team unit with a role to make it collectively as well as individually better is always the Williamson guiding principle.

At Middlesex, Kane will have a lengthy stint throughout the Blast and into the next round of County games. That has given him the opportunity to bring his young family with him. Life in London has many cosmopolitan attractions for the younger man perhaps, but for Kane “with three kids all quite small, parks and things to keep them happy” are very much top of the leisure time agenda. He will, he says, also be catching up with fellow Kiwi’s including Brendon McCullum of course.

Middlesex fans will be thrilled at the potential for solidity that Williamson can bring to a Middlesex side that has too often showed a batting fragility that comes with inexperience, particularly in the Blast. Judged by current IPL standards, Williamsons scoring rates are reassuringly solid rather than spectacular, but that can itself be a virtue. Previous experience in England has taught Kane that “conditions and pitches can vary greatly across the country and across the season. Adaptability, he says “is essential to meet different challenges and to enable to the team to perform their best”.

Kane on Kohli and white ball innovation

Always that sense of team over self is close to the surface of a Williamson conversation. When considering the values of innovation from the shorter form of the game being adopted in red ball cricket, his focus is on their ability to drive the team forward and the balance of skills required.

One cannot escape the sense that with Kane, the collective trumps the individual. Even when discussing the recent Test retirement of his contemporary Virat Kohli, he acknowledges the loss to India and to cricket generally. Although of course on different sides, he says that there has always been a strong sense of friendship, shared life situations and ‘doing it together’.

Highly adept at cricket in all its forms, in Williamson’s mind Test cricket remains the pinnacle. But for now, it is the Blast in his immediate sights. Middlesex will fervently hope that he can help steer them to the sharp end of the Blast and then up the Division Two Championship table. That’s a big ask and one Kane does not shirk. Fans can be sure that the Williamson approach will have a positive impact on the team collectively and from that will come a sense of fulfilment for the man from Tauranga and who knows, perhaps some silverware for Middlesex too.

Listen to the full press conference with Kane here: