Former Indian veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh believes it’s time that New Zealand needs to think beyond Kane Williamson in the shortest format of the game. Williamson scored 46 runs off 42 balls in the first semi-final against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
The stylish right-hander almost scored his runs at run-a-ball for the Kiwis. Thus, the Blackcaps could only post a below-par score of 152 runs on the board after Kane Williamson won the toss and decided to bat first. Williamson failed to change the gears despite getting settled at the crease and it didn’t help the team’s cause.
The 32-year-old has a strike rate of 123.04 in the T20I format and it has always been the talking point around his batting.
“They should have scored more, this was a surface where they actually scored 200 against Australia. I think they left at least 15-20 on that surface. Yes, 150 was a decent total, considering the World Cup pressure,” Harbhajan Singh was quoted by Star Sports after the Pakistan-New Zealand clash.
“They did not look to score. The intention was just to just take singles and doubles. They were not looking to hit boundaries. Yes, you had lost 3 wickets upfront. But it’s T20 format, you have to take your chances. You can’t wait for things to happen, you can’t wait for them to happen. And that’s where I think they lost the game,” he added.
The Turbanator feels Williamson is a top-class player but not in the T20I format.
“Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell, they were playing run-a-ball. It’s just not the way to play T20. I think it’s time that New Zealand needs to think beyond Kane Williamson in this format. He is a top-class player but not in this format,” Harbhajan added.
Meanwhile, Daryl Mitchell scored 53 runs from 35 balls but he could not get support from Kane Williamson at the other end. The Blackcaps had a great opportunity to make their way into the final but they were not good enough on the field.
Pakistan will meet the winner of the second semi-final between India and England on Sunday at the MCG.
