Kane Williamson – Leadership Qualities As a Cricketer: Kane Williamson, the New Zealand skipper, is an excellent batsman who has the right approach to leadership. He is considered as one of the finest Test batsmen in the world.
His batting style is based on discipline and concentration. He also has a good understanding of the game. He is a very calm person who gels with his team members.
1. Honesty
As a team leader Williamson is honest and transparent with everyone on the squad. He will be frank when it comes to feedback and will also not shy away from telling the truth about a game’s outcome. He has a strong work ethic and will do whatever it takes to win, something that has earned him the respect of his teammates.
Williamson’s level head is what makes him a truly special player. He is a natural-born leader, a trait that has been honed during his time at Tauranga Boys’ College and later in county cricket with Gloucestershire and Yorkshire. He is a ‘calculating’ player, according to his coach from the former, who added that he “boils things down to nuts and bolts, takes the emotion out of it.”
This is what New Zealand cricket fans love about him; he has the ability to read a situation and react accordingly. It’s the reason he can take a deep breath and play an innings of such brilliance.
When the chips are down, few players can come out of a tough moment as well as Williamson. After the heart-breaking World Cup final loss, few could have handled the volley of questions like Williamson did. He did not sledge the opposition or cry foul, instead he simply congratulated them and thanked his own team for putting up such a good fight.
The kind of honesty he displays at all times will only further endear him to the masses. His humility also shows when he is off the field. He has a great sense of empathy and does whatever he can to help people in need. This is evident from the way he interacts with his teammates and how he treats the fans.
2. Respect
The man is a true gentleman both on and off the pitch. His humility and magnanimity have earned him the coveted nickname of “the nice guy of cricket”. In a sport that is known for its intense rivalries, Kane Williamson stands out as a model of sportsmanship. His calm demeanour and respectful attitude have endeared him to fans, teammates, and opponents alike. For example, after losing the 2019 World Cup final on a bizarre technicality, Williamson refused to complain and was even gracious when accepting his award for Player of the Tournament.
The Kiwi batsman is a process-driven person. His coach from Tauranga Boys’ College once said that he is “calculated”; he boils things down to nuts and bolts. This approach works for him – he has scored over 3000 ODI runs at a consistent tempo. He’s also a genial, but hard, competitor. When he hit the winning six in a thrilling one-wicket win over Australia at Eden Park, he was all smiles and the calmest fist pump.
He’s also a very empathetic person. Team manager Mike Sandle once recalled that during a tour of Bangladesh, Williamson was touched by the poverty around and made it a point to help people whenever he could. He also donated his entire match fee for the 2014 Pakistan series to families of victims of a massacre at a school in Peshawar.
His humility and respect for others make him a natural leader. As a result, he is able to create a bond with his team and leads them with grace and dignity. In this way, he has transformed the Kiwis into a potent force to be reckoned with.
3. Integrity
Kane Williamson is one of cricket’s most genuine players and a classy captain. The New Zealander is a great team player, does not show undue aggression on the field and does not get frustrated when his side is hard done by. He is a cool head with the bat and is also a sound strategist on the field.
Those who have watched him play will know that the Blackcaps skipper is a natural born leader. He is always on the ball, reading the game, finding gaps and bringing out the best in his teammates. This is what makes him such a difficult batsman to bowl at. As former New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum puts it, “Kane kills you slowly.”
Williamson is a nice guy off the field as well. He is a grounded person who cares for others and goes out of his way to help those in need. He has even donated his entire match fee in a 2014 ODI series against Pakistan to families of victims of the Peshawar school massacre.
His integrity is also apparent when he plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. During an innings against the Delhi Daredevils, Williamson got the impression that his captain Imran Tahir was trying to cheat him and he confronted him about it. Tahir apologised and clarified that he was not trying to cheat Williamson in any way.
In a day and age when the integrity of cricket is often put under scrutiny, it is refreshing to see a world-class player like Williamson behave with such grace. He is a great leader and one of the most respected ambassadors of the game.
4. Flexibility
Kane Williamson is a ruthless competitor on the field but his cool head, concentration and sound technique have made him an exceptional leader. He has a great attitude towards the game and leads his team from the front. He is also an intelligent batsman who knows how to read a pitch and play quality cricket.
The ambidextrous Williamson is a top-order batsman who can play all formats and is a pillar of the New Zealand side since his debut in 2010. He is arguably the best ODI and Test batsman for the country after Martin Crowe. He is also a good catcher and a part-time off spinner, though he had to remodel his bowling after being banned for an illegal action.
As a captain, Kane has been a rock-solid performer with a win rate of more than 50%, including a stellar 44% in the one-dayers and a 55% in tests over six years. The Black Caps skipper has a unique ability to adapt the team’s tactics according to the conditions in different parts of the world. His shrewd tactics helped New Zealand overcome the challenge of slow, turning pitches in India last year.
He has also been able to mould his team in his own image and the players have expressed their admiration for him on multiple occasions. Even when the team was on the verge of losing a World Cup 2015 league match against Australia, Williamson was stone cold and stood up for his team.
In an age when flamboyant characters have become the norm, Williamson is a model of humility and maturity on and off the field. He has been a leader with a clear vision and has shown the way for younger batsmen like Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum to follow
