Kane Williamson picks his favorite Pakistan cricketers across eras

Former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson recently opened up about his favorite Pakistan cricketers across eras—during an appearance in a podcast.

Reflecting on players he admired growing up, Williamson named Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, and Inzamam-ul-Haq as his all-time favorites.

“I loved watching Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan,” he said. 

“I was also fortunate to play alongside Shoaib Malik in some T20 matches and learned a lot from him. Those three are players I really admired or enjoyed playing with,” he added. 

He further added, “I only caught the latter part of Inzamam-ul-Haq’s career, but he was another wonderful player.”

Turning to the current generation, the 34-year-old picked Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Fakhar Zaman. Williamson had a special mention for Fakhar, calling him a true menace with the bat whenever Pakistan faces New Zealand.

“From the current crop, I’d say the players I know a little better off the field, which makes the connection easier—like Babar and Rizwan,” Williamson shared. 

“Then there’s Fakhar Zaman—the New Zealand destroyer—he just comes out and smacks us everywhere every time we play him. We’re almost sick of the sight of him, but he’s an incredibly dangerous player and a great guy,” he added. 

Later in the podcast, Williamson was asked to pick the best players for specific cricket shots. For the straight drive, he named Babar Azam; the sweep shot went to Younis Khan, and for the iconic cover drive, he chose India’s Virat Kohli.

Williamson himself boasts a legendary international career, having represented New Zealand for over 15 years.

He has played 105 Tests, scoring 9,276 runs at an impressive average of 54.88, including 33 centuries and 37 fifties. In ODIs, he has racked up 7,235 runs in 173 matches at an average of 49.21, including 15 centuries. He also has 2,575 runs from 93 T20Is, including 18 half-centuries.