Kane Williamson vs Alastair Cook

[Johan]

Let's get this straight. Williamson beat Amla 18–1. Amla beat Cook 21–9. Yet this comparison is somehow a dead heat?

Yeah some people rate Cook, idk why

 

[Majestic]

Any great batter with as bad away numbers as Williamson vs top teams?

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

From 2000 onwards, all the names are present above him:-

Sangakkara
Younis
Smith
Clarke
Pietersen
ABD
Amla
Cook
Smith
Kohli
Root

I love Williamson the man but I find his batting overrated due to poor away record and even at home his performance vs Australia is questionable. Someone like Martin Crowe average much lower overall but performed against the best and was a master technician.

 

[BazBall21]

Any great batter with as bad away numbers as Williamson vs top teams?

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

From 2000 onwards, all the names are present above him:-

Sangakkara
Younis
Smith
Clarke
Pietersen
ABD
Amla
Cook
Smith
Kohli
Root

I love Williamson the man but I find his batting overrated due to poor away record and even at home his performance vs Australia is questionable. Someone like Martin Crowe average much lower overall but performed against the best and was a master technician.

SL away has been no gimme and he's not done great there too. The sample sizes aren't ideal but his away record is a bit underwhelming.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Ah. Majestic’s back with the old Williamson hate.

 

[Johan]

Sri Lanka is pretty difficult to score in

 

[BazBall21]

The England series has likely restored goodwill for Kane after not doing anything v Australia and in SL but he didn't make a match-shaping score in the games NZ needed to win and then cashed in when the opposition were pretty much on the beach.

 

[Rob Wesley]

Any great batter with as bad away numbers as Williamson vs top teams?

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

From 2000 onwards, all the names are present above him:-

Sangakkara
Younis
Smith
Clarke
Pietersen
ABD
Amla
Cook
Smith
Kohli
Root

I love Williamson the man but I find his batting overrated due to poor away record and even at home his performance vs Australia is questionable. Someone like Martin Crowe average much lower overall but performed against the best and was a master technician.

26 games played and average is 32.

Fair points, hard to deny. Greatness is achieved by performing away from home in top teams den.

 

[DrWolverine]

Kane Williamson

 

[Rob Wesley]

Phenomenal record in Pakistan & UAE, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

One great series in Australia on flat decks. What are his overall average vs Australia?

 

[BazBall21]

UAE 2018 was his best work overseas. Windies 2014 was good. Bangladesh 2013&Zimbabwe 2016 were weak attacks. The latter was very weak.

2012 India was Cook's best series. His record in Asia in general is very good.

 

[DrWolverine]

Williamson
Avg of 21 in SA
Avg of 29 in SL
Avg of 30 in Eng
Avg of 33 in Ind

3 series in Australia
2011 : 72 runs @ 18 in 2 Tests
2015 : 425 runs @ 85 in 3 Tests
2019 : 57 runs @ 14 in 2 Tests

 

[BazBall21]

I don't hold SAF against him but it isn't a guarantee he'd do well there

 

[Johan]

UAE 2018 was his best work overseas. Windies 2014 was good. Bangladesh 2013&Zimbabwe 2016 were weak attacks. The latter was very weak.

2012 India was Cook's best series. His record in Asia in general is very good.

his 135 against Herath is quality, though Cook's ton against Murali is greater.

 

[Majestic]

Ah. Majestic’s back with the old Williamson hate.

No hate, he is too gentle bloke to be hated. Great sportsperson and ambassador of the game but I expect better returns from a Test cricketer rated so high.

An average of 32 vs top 5 teams away from home and that doesn't include his failure vs SL which is again a spin dominated nation and his home performance vs Australia then it raises legitimate claims against his stature as test bat.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

No hate, he is too gentle bloke to be hated. Great sportsperson and ambassador of the game but I expect better returns from a Test cricketer rated so high.

An average of 32 vs top 5 teams away from home and that doesn't include his failure vs SL which is again a spin dominated nation and his home performance vs Australia then it raises legitimate claims against his stature as test bat.

Would you say he’s in the same tier as Kohli or a tier below Kohli?

 

[Majestic]

Would you say he’s in the same tier as Kohli or a tier below Kohli?

I rate Kohli higher. Away from home, Kohli is well ahead of Williamson vs top 4 sides with comparison of 42 vs 32 and both are at same level in terms of overall performance vs top 4 sides with 43 vs 42.

When difference is too big in overall stats vs top 4-5 teams then away stats value can be reduced. But in case of Williamson, it is inflated via bashing of Windies, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe who are decent team but not the benchmark when talking about world class batters.

 

[centurymaker]

now
KW > Kohli

 

[centurymaker]

The difference in output is too much, and Kohli has nothing outside his peak. So KW is definitely ahead now, despite Kane's away deficiencies.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Let’s see what KW’s decline phase looks like although I doubt it will be as bad as Kohli’s

 

[Johan]

KW will retire after Australia series down under, doubt he'd have a decline phase, might have a bad Australia tour though.