“I think it’s huge. That intent and those partnerships going forward are incredible,” Williams said. “The intent that one hitter shows allows the other hitter to score. It’s like he ends up benefiting from your intent. And that’s what we want in the team.”
Williams said players like him, Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza have been around “for a long time” and that Zimbabwe wanted the incoming debutants to have “clear minds”.
“It’s like going back to first grade again, and it’s actually really refreshing as a senior to go back and review all those things you used to do in a team meeting: take notes, do this, analyze, [and] “Checking your videos,” he said. “Things like that, we encourage them to make these guys younger.”
Zimbabwe entered the Test series after losses to Afghanistan in both the T20I and ODI series and their batting was criticized. But Williams and half-centurions Curran and Ervine helped Zimbabwe dominate the opening day of the first Test in what marked a reversal of fortunes for the hosts. Williams chalked it up to having “clear plans.”
“Go to training, attend a meeting and be absolutely clear about what needs to be done,” he said. “Keep that good ball out, but score with the bad ball. And that is the intention that we all pursue… All players throw bad balls. But you have to save them and you have to be brave enough.” “I can try to lock them up.”
