Kane Williamson shows love for Test cricket as he prepares for England

Kane Williamson is not the type to call someone out publicly, let alone a fellow New Zealander. But the recent forecast from Greg Barclay, independent chair of the International Cricket Council, that a reduction in the number of Test matches is coming certainly goes against his personal preference.

Perhaps New Zealand will be unaffected by the impending cut that will make room for more Twenty20 cricket and, among this, an Indian Premier League that is due to expand from 74 matches a year to 90. That the tourists are 1-0 down going into Friday’s second Test against England at Trent Bridge, but still able to win the series, is something of a rarity in a heavy diet of two-Test affairs in recent years.

Nevertheless, the response from Williamson on the eve of the match was clear: even if there is a typically pragmatic acceptance that the shortest format is on the rise, his side, the world Test champions after last year’s triumph at the Ageas Bowl, are not sated by their current place in the scheduling pecking order.

“We love our Test cricket, as do all nations who have the opportunity to play it,” said Williamson. “It’s the pinnacle of the sport and we want to see more of it. With the other formats, which are also great, the interest continues to grow. There’s a number of people who have to make decisions [on the future scheduling of series] but there’s certainly a love for it among Test nations.”

Williamson is 31, the same age as Joe Root, but made his Test debut in 2010, two years earlier. Even allowing for the elbow injury that has affected him over the past 18 months, the disparity in fixtures is highlighted by the New Zealander winning his 88th cap this week while Root picks up his 119th.

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