Srinagar: Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has said that New Zealand players are almost sick of the particular Pakistan batter who just comes out and smacks them everywhere every time, they play each other.
During a Prosports podcast, Williamson revealed his favorite Pakistan cricketers from both past and present generations. He also praised left hand batter Fakhar Zaman, whom he termed as headache for the Kiwis.
“There’s Fakhar Zaman—the New Zealand destroyer—he just comes out and smacks us everywhere every time we play him. We’re almost sick of the sight of him, but he’s an incredibly dangerous player and a great guy.”.
Among the all-time greats, Williamson named Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Inzamam-ul-Haq as his favorites.
“I loved watching Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan. I was also fortunate to play alongside Shoaib Malik in some T20 matches and learned a lot from him. Those three are players I really admired or enjoyed playing with,” Williamson shared.
“I only caught the latter part of Inzamam-ul-Haq’s career, but he was another wonderful player,” he added.
As for current players, the 34-year-old picked Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and Mohammad Rizwan. He praised Fakhar in particular for his performances against New Zealand.
“From the current crop, I’d say the players I know a little better off the field, which makes the connection easier—like Babar and Rizwan,” he said.
Toward the end of the podcast, the right-handed batter was asked to name the best players of specific cricket shots.
For the straight drive, he picked Babar Azam; for the sweep shot, he named Younis Khan; and for the cover drive, he chose Indian star Virat Kohli.
Kane Williamson has represented New Zealand in 105 Test matches, scoring 9,276 runs at an average of 54.88, including 37 fifties and 35 centuries.
In 173 One Day Internationals (ODIs), he has amassed 7,235 runs at an average of 49.21, featuring 47 half-centuries and 17 centuries.
In T20 Internationals, Williamson has played 93 matches, scoring 2,575 runs at a strike rate of 123.08, which includes 18 fifties.