Kane Williamson has urged his Durban’s Super Giants teammates to “keep playing with a bit of freedom and smarts” as they head into a crucial run of two home matches at Kingsmead.
Last season’s runners-up have hit a wall over the last three matches, which has seen the Super Giants slide to the bottom of the table. For a team that possesses the quality that the Super Giants do boast, it certainly is not where they would have imagined themselves approaching the halfway stage of the tournament.
It is often during these pressurised times that players and coaching staff freeze up in the bid to scrape together a win and not stay true to their natural expressive style of play.
Williamson, though, is an experienced campaigner that has led New Zealand in T20 and ODI World Cup finals along with the World Test Championship final, where the calmness of his leadership has always been a feature. The 34-year-old is now hoping to exude that same spirit in the DSG camp ahead of their all-important clash with MI Cape Town at Kingsmead on Tuesday.
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“There is a lot of experience in that dressingroom and all of us have been in this situation before. And the games come thick and fast,” Williamson said.
“It is just about keeping coming back to the basics and not over-reacting. There are a lot of fantastic players in that dressing room and it's about doing it collectively. We do need our players to keep going out, playing with a bit of freedom and a bit of smarts.”
Williamson has leapt to the top of the Super Giants run-scoring charts with 107 runs at an average of 53.50 and strike-rate of 117.59. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had much support with the next DSG being Quinton de Kock on 95 at an average of 23.75.
To put into context the Super Giants’ batting woes, Williamson placed eighth and De Kock 15th on the competition’s overall batting charts after the last round of matches on Sunday.
Williamson believes not much should be read into the numbers as DSG boast a squad that is capable of turning things around instantly if they are able to make a few adjustments.
“Naturally, every game there is the intention to win, but for us is to make those improvements and get nice and clear. Often after a few losses those things are highlighted, it is important for us to play with that freedom and trust the quality in the dressing room,” he said.
“The conditions have not leant itself to rhythm play. Its’about finding a way to be competitive and focusing on what we want to do and how we want to do it. We go back to Durban now and it's important that we make those small improvements.”
Williamson also emphatically backed last season’s MVP Heinrich Klaasen to find form sooner than later after the dangerous batter slipped down to No 7 in the last match against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
“I don’t think there was any intention of Klaasey batting at No 7,” said Williamson.
“I think the situation caused him to be held back a little bit to allow us to get ourselves in some sort of position where we could capitalise on an over or two to get us to a competitive total of around 130/135 which would give us a chance.
“Tactically, it was about holding him back so he would not get exposed too early. It was tough because we were in such a tough position early on.
“He is clearly the best (white-ball) player in the world in my eyes. But on some tricky surfaces it is just about complimenting each other as a unit. We know what damage he can do, so we are just trying to use him as best we can.”