Cricket: Stick with Williamson

Kane Williamson. Photo / Getty Images

Now the selectors have made the decision to play Kane Williamson in the international arena, they need to stick with him.

They selected the young Northern Districts all-rounder almost reluctantly, because of the sheer weight of his first-class and one-day runs. He combined that with tidy spells of off-spin bowling, which produced some useful wickets at home. But he has struggled in his first four outings as a Black Cap.

The temptation might be to rest him when it comes to the tours of Bangladesh and India but that is likely to achieve little. Williamson has been given limited opportunities to excel in a weakened Black Caps side that was at its most inconsistent in Sri Lanka.

There are few ways to explain a 200-run record win over India followed by a tepid loss to Sri Lanka and a trouncing when the same India produced a miraculous turnaround in form, courtesy of a Virender Sehwag century. New Zealand capitulated 105 runs short of their target with more than 19 overs unused. It would have been worse, had Kyle Mills not belted 52 off 35 balls.

Williamson will be disappointed not to have carried on his warm-up form with the bat where he made 86 and 117 not out against an Indian provincial side in Darwin. But he might benefit from being tested in a full-strength line-up in future.

Additional leadership and experience is not far away to help Williamson. Skipper Daniel Vettori and senior player Brendon McCullum are through their most recent nappy-changing stints and should return refreshed for a busy one-day international-filled summer, culminating in the World Cup.

Anyone who has seen Williamson in his batting stride will be hoping the selectors show leniency. His maiden first-class century at Eden Park Outer Oval for ND against Auckland in March last year showcased his ability. He played the bowling effortlessly, with nimble footwork, dancing around the crease like a Fred Astaire-Muhammad Ali hybrid.

His busy off-spin bowling should not be under-estimated, either. He bustles through the crease and, while he did not ask too many questions of batsmen in Dambulla, he has hauled in plenty of economical wickets domestically.

Some of New Zealand's best one-day top order batsmen in the last 20 years, including Nathan Astle and McCullum, had to battle with confidence before estab-lishing themselves.

Martin Crowe is probably the classic example, having been savaged by Australian fast bowlers Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson when he debuted at home in 1982.

He only righted his career properly - and for good - with his maiden test century against England in early 1984. Crowe has previously advised against Williamson's selection accordingly, but the decision has now been taken.

The selectors need to persist, rather than further shattering the confidence of a prodigious talent.