Kane Williamson Is The Type Of Nice Guy The Competitive World Of Cricket Needs Today

If any player personifies the term 'nice guy' in modern day cricket, then it is Kane Williamson. And why not? The man does not show undue aggression on the field, does not sledge the opposition, does not cry foul if his team is hard done and always keeps a smile while being friendly to teammates and opponents alike.

Of course, do not mistake his nice guy image as a weakness. With the willow in hand he is deadly, as a captain he is strategic and as a fielder he can pull off some blinders and save crucial runs. Not being a too aggressive player does not mean he is not a good one.

Remember when New Zealand lost the World Cup final on a technicality to England? Williamson did not once complain about the strange rules. When he won the Man of the Tournament award, he was actually taken aback and openly showed his surprise. Time and again he has displayed good spirit as skipper and player. This is why he is loved and respected by fans, teammates and opposition alike.

Truth be told in this competitive day and age, nice guys like him are needed in the game. He maintains the balance. Now imagine Virat Kohli at one end, the in-your-face aggressive type of guy. Not that there is anything wrong in that but Williamson is the perfect foil to Kohli. When they faced off in the World Cup semifinal, it was called a battle of fire vs ice. If one observes Williamson's composure to Kohli's emotion, one will understand why.

Williamson is also one of the best batsmen in the world today. He is 33 and is surely going to be around for another 3-5 years. The longer he lasts the better because his batting talent aside, cricket needs more nice guys like him.

July 14, 2019. The World Cup final between England and New Zealand. None of the sides had ever won a title, so a new champion was guaranteed. But nobody was ready for what followed.

When the rules were made for the knockouts and title clash, this should have been called out, but truth be told, nobody saw this coming. The rule stated that in the final if the scores were tied even after a Super Over, then the team who hit more boundaries would be declared winners. England had more boundaries and so, on a technicality, got the title. The Kiwis were gutted, none more so than their skipper Kane Williamson. But how he reacted and conducted his team too showed a lesson in true sportsmanship.

He knew it was a raw deal, but Williamson did not be a sore loser. In fact, he congratulated his opponents and thanked his own team for putting up a fight. Yes, the pain was visible on his face, but he knew as per the rules his side had lost and there was no need to escalate things.