NZ vs IND | There should be a lot more context to bilateral series, proclaims Kane Williamson

New Zealand are set to lock horns against India in an ODI series but the talks over match attendance have risen recently after the series between England and Australia saw a massive dip in viewership. The final ODIꦺ of the series bet♚ween the Ashes rivals saw only a few fans enjoying the game from the stands, provoking many to raise questions about the future of ODIs.

Reflecting on the issue, Williamson said that the large volume of cricket being pla🍃yed has impacted the viewership numbers an🐻d so bilateral series should be provided with a lot more context. 

“It was unfortunate to see, but it also shows the volume of cricket that’s being held. Because no doubt the ICC tournaments are incredibly popular and there has been a lot of cricꦡket on. They (Australia) also had a World Cup on. So, there was a lot on in their country too,” Williamson said on the eve of New Zealand’s opening ODI against India in a press conference.

“So, we must ꦛensure there is a lot more context as possible in games, espe♋cially the bilateral series.” 

Williamson was recently released by Sunriser💯s Hyderabad ahead of the IPL auction for the next season. The batter managed to score just 216 runs from 13 innings at an average of 19.64 and a poor strike rate of 93.51. The move will see the New Zealand skipper present in the auction list giving teams the option to purchase him in the mini-auction in December. 

“In terms of the auction we’ll have to wait and see. It’s c🔯ertainly not up to me. People make their decisions based on their teams and what they are after a♓nd that’s how it works,” Williamson opined. 

New Zealand played their last ODI series against Australia in September and were clean swept 3-0. However, they will look forward to bouncing back in the ODI format with a se𝕴ries win against India after suffering a defeat in the shortest format. Williamson has stated that they will need to reconnect a bit ahead of the ODI matches against India. 

“After a large volume of T20 cricket, the focus naturally shifts to the next one i.e is the ODI tournament. Reluctant to call it ✱preparation, it’s very much focussing on the series at hand and the team reconnecting. There have not been a huge amount of ODIs, it was mostly T20Is, with some Tests. It is about settling down and getting a nice understanding. There is a change in the environment. These are a few fact🐼ors,” he explained.