Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan rarely minces his words, and it was no different as he suggested that New Zealand stalwart Kane Williamson will never be a player who can bat at an explosive strike rate. The critique comes after New Zealand bowed out of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the group stage. Williamson scored just 28 runs in the tournament, at a strike rate of 87.50, and gave up captaincy following New Zealand’s exit. Michael Vaughan has now advised Williamson to take inspiration from one of his contemporaries, Virat Kohli, on how to remodel his T20 game.
“Look at Virat Kohli in IPL 2024. He went from the Virat in previous years to the modern 2024 player by going for it, being expansive, particularly against spin. It was tremendous to see,” said Vaughan, speaking on Cricbuzz.
“Kane Williamson will never be a batter who strikes at 200. If he can up his strike rate by 15-20 per cent, and get to a strike rate of 140-150, he would be the glue for New Zealand and whatever franchise he plays for,” said Vaughan.
Kohli, at the age of 35, piled up 741 runs at a strike rate of 154 in IPL 2024, winning his second Orange Cap in the process.
Williamson is no stranger to the Orange Cap either, having won it in 2018, when he smashed 735 runs at a strike rate of 142. However, six years on, Williamson’s offensive game seems to be on the decline.
However, Williamson’s New Zealand future in T20Is is up in the air. The 33-year-old quit captaincy and declined a central contract, hinting at overseas priorities and wanting to spend more time with his family.
Failure to qualify for the Super 8 means that New Zealand is also not guaranteed direct qualification to the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Topics mentioned in this article
