Cricket gifts Kane Williamson the honour of being the first World Test Championship winning captain

 By K.R. Nayar

It is the game of cricket that has gifted Kane Williamson the indelible reputation of being the first captain to lift the World Test Championship winner’s Mace. It is an apt reward for his exemplary conduct as a gentleman cricketer and a sporting captain

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson lifts the winner's Mace. Photo credit: ICC 

Many captains may go on to lift the World Test Championship winner’s Mace in the future but the game of cricket decided that the first captain to lift the Mace would be a player with exemplary qualities as a skipper and a cricketer. Test cricket is the ultimate format and the captain who guided his team to the top should be a cricketer who is not adored for his cricketing skills alone but for his attitude as a sportsman, a true gentleman both on and off the field.

One of the unforgettable moments while reporting the 2019 ICC World Cup was Williamson's conduct during the post-match press conference after being declared runners-up to England. The grace with which he accepted defeat when England, after the Super-over, was declared the winner based on the higher number of boundaries got everyone to respect and adore him.

In that press conference, I'd asked him whether it was the rule or the boundaries that led to his team’s defeat, and his response was admirable. Without blaming the rules or mentioning that England was lucky, he said: “Neither my team nor England had thought about hitting more boundaries.” Each of his responses carried with it his customary smile despite the fact that he was holding back the pain of losing a final in the most bizarre manner. When the press conference ended, every journalist stood up to give him a standing ovation. In my report that day, I had mentioned that Williamson was the true representation of how a cricket captain should be in word and deed.

It was nothing but a joke when Williamson was ignored for the ICC’s Spirit of Cricket Award soon after the 2019 World Cup. In fact, he was the one who upheld the spirit of cricket in all ways as captain during the 2019 World Cup. Sidelining him for that award was actually making a mockery of cricket.

Fortunately, cricket has always rewarded those who truly love the game. Almost anyone who has worked hard to sharpen his skills and provide entertainment to fans has become a superstar. Cricket has also rewarded those who've played according to the spirit of the game. So it just seemed to me that the game was waiting for the right moment to bestow its honour to Williamson. That is why he was chosen to be the winning captain of the first World Test Championship.  He will be forever remembered as the first skipper to guide his team to the World Championship title in a format that is considered the ultimate.

Test cricket has a tradition that has been built over the years. It deserves respect and it is the duty of the captains to ensure that it is played with reverence.  

As captain, Williamson has proved that winning is important but playing it in the right spirit matters even more. Budding cricketers can look up to him as a role model. A true champion team is not one that has scored more runs than the opponent but a team that has displayed traits of gentlemen cricketers both on and off the field. And the captain who shapes up such a team, leading through his sporting qualities, deserves a salute.