Critics say Williamson is too young to be in the hot seat as a captain.
Critics say Williamson is too young to be in the hot seat as a captain.
Critics say Williamson is too young to be in the hot seat as a captain.
Critics say Williamson is too young to be in the hot seat as a captain.

Rookie captains like Kiwi Kane Williamson can thrive, too


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New Zealand cricket seems to be in a state of flux.

Coach John Wright is on his farewell tour and Brendon McCullum is resting at home. Captain Ross Taylor injured himself in the first game and a 21 year old, Kane Williamson, has been parachuted into the hot seat, shouldering the unenviable task of stopping Chris Gayle.

The visitors have lost all four games of their Caribbean tour this far - two Twenty20 Internationals and the first two one-day internationals.

Williamson has led New Zealand in three of those matches and given their situation, many commentators back home believe the decision to appoint him as the interim captain is a bit cruel.

Williamson has been earmarked as a future captain from an early age, but critics argue, he is a bit too young for the job. Only Tatenda Taibu (Zimbabwe), Rajin Saleh (Bangladesh) and Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (India) have led an international cricket team at a younger age.

Wright, however, had few options once Taylor injured his shoulder.

The cupboard is bare.

And while the results may not have been positive till now, Williamson has shown his leadership qualities. He is only in the job till Taylor and his regular deputy, McCullum, return for the Test matches, but giving him a longer reign may not be such a bad idea.

Graeme Smith was 22 and had played only eight Test matches and 22 ODIs when he was appointed South Africa captain after a disappointing 2003 World Cup, and his success is there for all to see. Pataudi did the same for India.

New Zealand have their own experience with Stephen Fleming. He was a week shy of his 24th birthday when he got the job in 1997. Today, he is considered the best captain they had.

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