AGENCIES
NEW DELHI
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has lauded captain Kane Williamson's demeanour and work ethic for the team's seamless transition from the Brendon McCullum era. Hesson also felt McCullum and Williamson brought a largely similar approach to their leadership styles.
"Kane captained, I think, 36 games before he took over full-time. Even during the time that Brendon was captain, for a number of tours or part of the tours, Kane came in and it was a very seamless change," Hesson told reporters after New Zealand arrived in New Delhi. "I think the key to any captain-coach relationship is to making sure that we use each other's strengths. Kane is very thoughtful, methodical, (as a) player likes to plan well, but also likes his own time.
"Brendon wasn't hugely dissimilar to that; he prepared really well. He was probably a little bit more of a high profile, sort of 'out there' character, especially in New Zealand. As you see, Kane is probably slightly more of a backseat (type) but within the team they operate in a very similar fashion."
Williamson, for his part, is well aware of the importance of compartmentalising his twin roles as leader and premier batsman. Although he comes on the back of a good run of scores - Williamson finished as the team's second-highest run-getter in New Zealand's recent tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa - he recognises the need to pull his weight as one of the team's better players of spin bowling.
"I suppose you take that (captaincy) hat off and you are very much a batsman and you have a role to play in the team. I see them as slightly different things, so that to me is the focus," Williamson said.
