'I never thought anything about it': Williamson reflects on Fab Four tag

NewsSports NewsCricket News'I never thought anything about it': Kane Williamson reflects on Fab Four tag alongside Kohli, Root and Smith 'I never thought anything about it': Kane Williamson reflects on Fab Four tag alongside Kohli, Root and Smith Edited by Nitesh Dubey / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Nov 10, 2026, 19:11 IST Four batters, four different countries and one defining era of cricket.

Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Steve Smith were often grouped together as the 'Fab Four', but Williamson says he never paid much attention to the tag during their playing careers. Looking back, however, the former New Zealand captain considers their parallel journeys and the opportunity to compete against each other something truly unique.

Watch Unseen visuals from Seddon Park as India vs New Zealand gets washed out The quartet dominated conversations around Test batting for several years, with each establishing themselves as the leading run-scorers and match-winners for their respective countries.

While comparisons between the four were frequent, Williamson believes their individual journeys and approaches to the game made the era particularly special.Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Williamson reflected on how he viewed the much-discussed label and admitted that it was never something he consciously thought about."I never thought anything about it, as in you'd hear it often because it would get sort of put in front of you, but in some ways, like now finishing, it is quite unique," Williamson said."Not numbers in that, but to have quite parallel careers and actually get to know the other fellas.

Everybody does it differently, representing their different respective countries," he added.'We competed against each other for so long': Williamson on Fab Four era Williamson believes the most memorable aspect of being part of the Fab Four was not the comparisons or statistical achievements but the experience of sharing an era with three exceptional batters."There was a moment in time where we competed against each other for so long.

Played with Rooty at Yorkshire, Virat and I from Under-19s, and Smudge as well. It's just kind of quite unique, I think," he said.Kane Williamson praises Kohli, Root and Smith The former New Zealand captain also spoke about his relationship with the other three batters, acknowledging that he had spent more time with some than others.

Williamson revealed that he had shared considerable time with Kohli and Root, while his interactions with Smith had been comparatively limited. However, he expressed admiration for all three, particularly the different ways in which they approached the game.Join conversation "I mean, largely they're all quite different.

Kind of spent quite a bit of time with Virat and Rooty, a little bit with Smudge over the years, but yeah, more so some than others. They're all different characters," he said."I just loved watching them and how they went about it.

Admired the way that they did it," Williamson added. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app. Nitesh Dubey is a digital content producer at the Times of India with over two years of experience in sports journalism.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Before joining TOI Online Sports Desk in March 2026, he was part of India News and Zee News. He has covered major sporting events, including ICC tournaments, IPL, Olympics and Tennis tournaments showcasing his passion for cricket and other sports.

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