Smith hails Williamson for having 'terrific work ethic'

Australia batsman Steve Smith hailed New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson for having a 'terrific work ethic' and is hoping to keep him quiet in the upcoming series.

"Terrific work ethic, a good eye and plenty of time. I think he has loads of time against quick bowling. He is a quality player and hopefully, we can keep him quiet this series," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Smith as saying.

Smith then compared himself to Williamson in terms of how they both hold the bat.

"I think we actually hold the bat reasonably similarly. He has got quite a closed grip. I like that in Test cricket personally. It just helps playing the ball a bit later and I think [Williamson] plays it a bit later than anybody else in the world ... He plays the ball incredibly late, he is patient," Smith said.

Australia is scheduled to play a three-match Test series against New Zealand with the first game set to start from December 12.