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Kane Williamson’s voice will be a crucial one at the second gathering of the World Cricket Connects forum at Lord’s, according to MCC chair Mark Nicholas.
The innovative initiative, which brings together influential figures from across all aspects of cricket, was Nicholas’ brainchild and is expanding to a two-day event in 2025 after a successful start last year.
Williamson, who is currently based at Lord’s as an overseas player for Middlesex, is set to contribute as part of a panel discussing the influence of franchise cricket – a topic the 34-year-old is familiar with having played in T20 tournaments in India, Pakistan, South Africa and the Caribbean over the course of his glittering career.
Attracting the views of current players on the panel was key for Nicholas, who said: “You have to hear from everybody.
“Players aren’t always right but they must always be heard. I look back myself to the strong views I had in my 20s and 30s and we all said ‘no-one listens to us’.
“But your perspective is wholly subjective and when you finish, you can look at the bigger picture and become more objective.
“Someone like Kane Williamson, stepping away from a full-time contract with New Zealand, with all that experience behind him, is a very good person to get a view from.
“He still cares and he still plays, so he can feel what the game and its players are saying, and he can apply that to the arguments that are out there.”
Williamson’s current situation is a case study for the dilemmas facing modern players in the franchise era.
Nicholas still believes Tests remain the pinnacle for the bulk of players.
“Some think the vast majority of players now would put playing in the IPL ahead of playing in a Test match – I don’t agree with that,” he said.
“I still think that as you grow as a young person, playing for your country in a Test match is what you’d most prefer to do.
“There will be the odd person who prioritises the money and doesn’t care about Test matches but in the main, people want to play Test cricket.”
In addition to franchise cricket, themes including the state of the game, women’s cricket and ‘is cricket cool?’ will be up for discussion at Lord’s, with panellists from a range of backgrounds invited to take part.
A World Cricket Connects Advisory board, chaired by Kumar Sangakkara and featuring former Australia captain Mel Jones, has been established since the inaugural forum last year – which featured former Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum.
“The startling moments last year were when both Brendon McCullum and Kumar Sangakkara said, ‘if Test cricket doesn’t come to our countries, that is our fault, no-one else’s’,” Nicholas added.
“They didn’t say Sri Lanka or New Zealand must be given Test cricket at all costs at all – it was the opposite, they were saying ‘we need to sort our house out first’.”
World Cricket Connects is an initiative dedicated to bringing together cricket stakeholders from around the world to discuss and shape the future of the sport. Through events, discussions, and collaborations, World Cricket Connects aims to foster innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability in cricket.
