"What does his future hold"- Kane Williamson's potential questioned by former Kiwi captain

Former New Zealand cricketer Stephen Fleming opened up about Kane Williamson's future as a three-format player with the national cricket team. Stephen Fleming acknowledged Kane Williamson's batting skills but questioned his continuation in all three formats of the game after a disappointing T20 World Cup 2024.

New Zealand was eliminated from the group stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Black Caps suffered losses to Afghanistan and the West Indies in their first two matches. They bounced back with victories against Uganda and Papua New Guinea but couldn't finish in the top two places of Group C in the World Cup.

The 33-year-old has been a crucial figure in New Zealand's top white-ball team for over a decade. New Zealand has reached the semi-finals seven times in World Cups since 2011 across T20 and ODI formats. He was named Player of the Tournament in the 2019 ODI World Cup, where the Kiwis lost to England in the final.

Kane Williamson led New Zealand to the ICC trophy in the Test format in 2021, defeating Team India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final match in Southampton. New Zealand also reached the final of the 2021 T20 World Cup but lost to Australia in the summit clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Hasn't Really Been Questioned - Stephen Fleming

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo's TimeOut show, Stephen Fleming said that Kane Williamson has to decide between continuing in all three formats, focusing on franchise cricket, or prioritizing family time. Fleming noted that Williamson is at a juncture where factors beyond cricket will influence his decisions.

"It hasn't really been questioned over here, due to his genius with the bat, but he has to make a decision now after a disappointing World Cup. What does his future hold? Is it all three formats, is it franchise cricket, is it family time? He will be getting to that point where he starts making decisions that have other influences, whereas before it was cricket and cricket only," Fleming said on ESPNcricinfo.

He Will Be Afforded The Luxury Of Time - Stephen Fleming

The former New Zealand captain said that Kane Williamson will have the luxury of time to decide his next steps. Fleming described Williamson as a "generational player," stating that he might move on or he'll steel himself to right the wrongs for the next one.

"He will be afforded the luxury of time because he's a generational player and he'll be hurting a lot. The older New Zealand players would have looked at this as maybe their last good opportunity, so it might be that it's time to move on, or he'll steel himself to right the wrongs for the next one. But he's not a guy that gives away a lot, so it'd be interesting to see what he does," he added.

Will Kane Williamson remain a three-format player? 🤔

#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/zAuGz59fIW

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 18, 2024

Kane Williamson resigned from the Test captaincy in 2022, and Tim Southee assumed the role thereafter. The right-handed batter is currently leading New Zealand in white-ball cricket. New Zealand is scheduled for a Test series rematch in India later this year and a home series against England in December. 

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