Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, reflecting on the famous ‘Fab Four’ group that brought together India’s Virat Kohli, Australia’s Steve Smith and England’s Joe Root (including him), admitted that the ‘Fab Four’ label was never something he gave much thought to during his playing days. Talking about those years, the former New Zealand captain highlighted the importance and experience of that era.
"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. 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," Williamson said on Stick to Cricket podcast.
Kohli, Smith, Root and Williamson built their careers simultaneously, firing eye-catching performances repeatedly and pushing each other to greater heights.
"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.
Williamson also talked about the healthy relationship between all four of them.
"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.
Williamson retired from international cricket in June 2026, having represented New Zealand for 16 years. He capped off his career as New Zealand’s leading run-scorer across formats, accumulating 19,346 runs, including an impressive 9,515 in Test cricket. Virat Kohli also called time on his Test career in 2025, ending his Test career with 9,230 runs. Meanwhile, Smith and Root remain active in Test cricket.