Fab 4 Cricket: Kohli, Smith, Root, Williamson Compared

Introduction: Four modern craftsmen under one banner

A term from pop culture collided with cricket’s modern renaissance and stuck: the Fab Four in cricket. In one compact phrase, the sport found a neat, imperfect way to talk about four batters who shaped an era with almost monastic discipline. The Fab Four—Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson—have not merely logged runs; they have authored a shared mythology of technique, temperament, and relentless adaptation across formats and conditions. They arrived as prodigies, evolved into captains and standard-bearers, and remained relevant across shifting white-ball ecosystems and a demanding red-ball landscape.

This piece defines the Fab Four in cricket, traces how the label took root, and compares the quartet across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is with a specialist’s eye. It addresses the fierce debate around a “Fab Five” with Babar Azam, adds form and conditions context, and ends with a criteria-led verdict on who stands tallest by what matters most: away performance, SENA output, conversion, and consistency in the most recent multi-season cycle. The intent is simple: be definitive without being dogmatic, respectful without being bland, and current without chasing fleeting noise.

Who are the Fab Four in cricket?

Virat Kohli (India)
Steve Smith (Australia)
Joe Root (England)
Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

Why “Fab Four” and where the term came from

The label draws on the Beatles’ “Fab Four” and entered mainstream cricket language through thoughtful editorial use, most memorably by the late Martin Crowe, who championed the idea of a generational quartet to define the modern batting age. Broadcasters, writers, and fans embraced it because it neatly framed a rivalry that didn’t rely on geography or bilateral history. Four batters, four nations, four styles—and a common obsession with run-making that has lasted through rule changes, ball manufacturers, DRS, and data-driven coaching.

Fab Four at a glance: styles, roles, and identities

Virat Kohli: Counterpunch artist in Tests with a high front elbow and bolt-straight head position; ODI pace-setter and chaser extraordinaire; elite fielder; white-ball tempo with classical methods.
Steve Smith: Unorthodox but technically watertight; back-and-across trigger; bat coming through late with soft hands; red-ball colossus who turns time at the crease into inevitability.
Joe Root: The game’s consummate manipulator of length; late hands, late cuts, reverse sweeps; thrives by rotating strike and wearing down attacks; sublime against spin on slow decks.
Kane Williamson: Minimalist technique; perfect balance and control; soft hands that make even good-length balls feel harmless; master of tempo and situational batting.

Fab Four in Test cricket: the long game that made the legend

Test cricket is where the Fab Four concept truly earns its name. Each of the four has a long body of work against high-class bowling in every major condition. And each of them underwent at least one deep technical reinvention to keep scoring when bowlers adjusted.

Key pillars of Test excellence among the Fab Four

Technique versus the moving ball: Smith’s back-and-across sets his head over off stump early, letting him cover both edges. Root shortened his trigger and now waits with softer hands, especially in Asia. Williamson’s minimal movements keep him perfectly balanced against late swing. Kohli’s alignment adjustments—especially during tours where the ball moved late—have made his cover-drive risk more calculated.
Adaptation cycles: Root’s game against spin transformed mid-career with a supreme sweep package. Smith’s hands got even softer outside off stump, muting the gully trap. Williamson extended his leaves and dink nudges into a complete tempo-control toolkit. Kohli’s leave decision improved and his on-drive became a release valve under pressure.
Big-innings temperament: Smith and Williamson are conversion masters; Root turned his starts into mountains through a stretch when he carried England’s batting nearly alone; Kohli’s best away hundreds have the energy and aggression of leader’s knocks that bend the game.

Test comparison: context-first snapshot

Career averages (broad guide): Smith sits in the elite zone near the very top; Williamson and Root hover around the gold-standard mark for modern greats; Kohli is close behind, with his away centuries and captaincy era defined by SENA intent.
Away and SENA splits: Smith’s record in England is towering; Williamson has quietly excellent numbers outside New Zealand, with measured mastery in Asia; Root’s SENA returns are strong, boosted by marathon innings and improved turning-track play; Kohli’s peaks in Australia and strong South Africa returns anchor his away legacy.
Fourth-innings and pressure batting: Williamson’s last-day cool stands out, including a chase-defining knock in a world final and a last-ball Test heist in Christchurch. Root’s fourth-innings grit is famed, especially in dour conditions. Smith has fewer fourth-innings blockbusters but tilts series early through massive first-innings control. Kohli’s fourth-innings bravado shows in tempo, though his legacy is more about setting the game up with big first-innings runs away from home.

Test cricket: conversion rate and balls per dismissal

Steve Smith: Among the finest conversion rates of the modern era; patience, repeatable method, minimal false shots once set.
Kane Williamson: Exceptional conversion when he crosses fifty; high control percentage even against top pace.
Joe Root: Historically had a gap between fifties and hundreds, addressed decisively through a sustained stretch of ton-rich form.
Virat Kohli: Strong conversion in the peak period; elite series-defining away hundreds in Australia and effective hundreds in swing-friendly spells.

Conditions and matchups

Against pace: Smith and Williamson excel on seam-friendly decks with soft hands; Kohli and Root have impeccable cover-drive discipline when set, with Root’s glide-through-gully work adding risk-free runs. Kohli’s most commanding knocks against pace often involve delayed drives and on-side punch through midwicket.
Against spin: Root is the best modern exponent of the sweep family of strokes; Williamson’s under-spin drop shots and late deflections work in low bounce; Kohli excels using the crease to smother length; Smith’s exaggerated trigger puts him into smother-and-paddle mode, cutting risk on turning tracks.
New ball vs. old ball: Smith’s old-ball management is clinical. Root milks singles, turning the strike over almost on command. Williamson barely changes tempo—his hallmark is slow acceleration without risk. Kohli can shift from grind to assert in minutes, especially once bowlers err in length.

The intangible Test skill—control under duress

CricViz-style metrics like control percentage and false-shot percentage reveal a revealing theme: Williamson and Smith are near-immovable when conditions suit; Root’s control peaks on slow decks and he is the best at manipulating length; Kohli, while more expressive, displays elite control sequences during overseas tons against the new ball, choosing late play and straighter lines rather than the early cover-drive flourish.

Fab Four in ODI cricket: tempo, chasing, and tournament temperament

If Tests built the legend, ODIs cemented the mass appeal. Here the Fab Four contribute with distinct roles:

Virat Kohli: The ODI metronome and chase-master. No modern batter has more centuries in this format. His hallmark is pacing: a subdued powerplay, strike-rate lift in overs 11–40 through singles, twos, and precise boundary picks, and dominance at the death with risk-managed aggression.
Joe Root: England’s stabilizer through a white-ball revolution. Root rarely looks rushed; he scores in the V and behind square with late deflection, keeping the team’s high-octane blueprint grounded when early wickets fall. A strong tally of hundreds anchors his case.
Kane Williamson: The most elegant tempo controller in one-day cricket. Williamson’s placement beats brute force; he calculates angles, manages match-ups quietly, and leaves bowling groups without a Plan B. Century count is impressive; strike rotation underpins most New Zealand run-chases.
Steve Smith: The big-occasion accumulator. Smith’s ODI record includes high-impact tournament innings and a reputation for rising when the event spotlight is brightest. He is adept at batting through tricky phases and freeing hitters around him.

ODI strengths in one table (qualitative index)

Metric	Kohli	Smith	Root	Williamson
Role clarity	Primary anchor-chaser	Anchor-finisher in tournaments	Stabilizer and manipulator	Tempo controller and angle-master
Century volume	Highest in the group	Moderate	High	High
Strike-rate scaling	Excellent in middle overs	Good-to-very good late	Smooth but situational	Smooth and calculated
Chasing record	Elite, sustained over long span	Strong in high-stakes games	Reliable anchor	Calm, low-error chaser
Boundary vs rotation balance	Rotation-led with bursts	Rotation-led	Rotation-dominant	Rotation-dominant with smart lofts

How they build ODI hundreds

Kohli: Early leave outside off, minimal risk; opens the blade later; picks on fifth bowler; converts seamlessly once past fifty.
Root: Low dots, maximal singles; sweeps seamers’ cross-seam cutters; late soft hands through covers; a hundred arrives almost without notice.
Williamson: Two-pace movement—settles the game then accelerates; rarely forces the issue; exploits angles to deep square and extra cover.
Smith: Fights through heavy-ball spells; handles cutters with open stance and late hands; makes bowlers come straighter, then picks gaps.

Fab Four in T20I cricket: role fit over raw numbers

T20Is are not the definitive arena for the Fab Four—two of them barely play the format consistently. But understanding their value requires nuance beyond raw strike rates.

Virat Kohli: Clutch chasing anchor with a historically high average relative to format peers and a strike rate that lifts in chases. The template: low-risk powerplay, high-gear in overs 12–18, premium boundary options straight and through midwicket.
Kane Williamson: Tactical glue. Batting value comes through match-up beating—targeting the short square side, using the breeze, and field manipulation. Not a power merchant, still priceless in tricky chases and on slower surfaces.
Joe Root: Limited T20I presence, but technique and range enable strong franchise stints when used. Best as a No. 3 who controls the middle.
Steve Smith: A role player rather than centerpiece. Reads pace-off well, excels at angles behind square and midwicket pick-up. More valuable on sticky decks.

T20I short-form comparison (qualitative)

Attribute	Kohli	Smith	Root	Williamson
Primary value	Chase anchor, high average	Situational No. 3/4	Control and rotation	Match-up tactician
Strike rate	Healthy, spikes in chases	Moderate-to-good by role	Moderate	Moderate, rises late
Power game	Timed lofts, strong range	Timing + angles	Touch and placement	Placement + late switch
Best surfaces	Good pace, true bounce	Two-pace decks	True bounce	Low bounce, dry tracks

Home vs away, SENA vs Asia: who rules where

The truest lens to compare elite batters is through conditions. The Fab Four in Test cricket are defined by how they fare away, particularly in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) and in Asia on turning tracks.

Home vs away (Test cricket)

Smith: Immense at home and still immense away. In England he’s a problem teams never solve fully; soft hands, leaving discipline, and a late bat path that kills seam.
Root: Strong at home with a heavy workload; his away surge in turning conditions came from sweep variety and using the crease. In SENA, he grinds; in Asia, he orchestrates.
Williamson: Castle of calm at home; abroad, he carries minimal drop-off—remarkable balance and judgment through channels that trouble most right-handers.
Kohli: Excellent at home; away hundreds define his myth. Australia brought out his most expressive red-ball batting; South Africa produced tough-as-nails hundreds. In England, he built, adjusted, and returned better for the next tour.

SENA leaders by attribute

New-ball survival: Smith and Williamson pace themselves with the leave; Root uses late hands; Kohli’s head position and compact trigger stabilize him once in.
Conversion in tough series: Smith is the series hog; Root’s big series volumes can be staggering; Williamson’s doubles often break bowling sides; Kohli adds narrative-defining away hundreds.
Late-innings pressure: Williamson owns nerve-filled final-innings work; Root specializes in wearing down day-four and day-five spells; Kohli’s control over tempo in high-stakes away games is unmistakable; Smith usually settles the match in the first half.

Asia specialists

Root: The sweep catalog is a masterclass—fine sweep, slog-sweep, reverse, and paddle to destroy line plans.
Williamson: Weight transfer and under-spin check allow him to neutralize drift and dip; rotates 35–45 singles like clockwork.
Kohli: Smothers on length, hits spinners back over their head; uses feet to disrupt, then defends late.
Smith: Narrow backlift, late contact point, and exaggerated trigger help him hold the line without frying his outside edge.

The conversion debate: who turns fifties into hundreds?

It tells you how hard it is to get these men out once they’re set:

Steve Smith: Conversion rate well above the usual great-batter baseline; multi-hundred innings mount quickly in Ashes-like duels.
Kane Williamson: High conversion combined with a serene tempo—he doesn’t suddenly accelerate; he continues his same uncluttered rhythm.
Joe Root: Corrected a mid-career kink where the hundred wouldn’t come despite smooth fifties; then produced a run of relentless centuries.
Virat Kohli: In Tests, conversion roared during the prime away years; in ODIs, he’s peerless at turning starts into match-winning tons.

The Fab Four and ICC rankings, WTC and big-series arcs

Rankings and cycles: Each man has enjoyed long stints within the elite bracket of ICC batter rankings, often trading the top spot. The churn reflects form and volume, but the quartet’s baseline remains top-tier.
World Test Championship context: Williamson owns a championship medal and a final-clinching knock. Smith’s series-defining returns fed his team’s points strength. Root’s sheer run-volume across cycles remains monumental. Kohli captained a final run and left behind a seam-bowling legacy that shaped his team’s WTC competitiveness.
Big-series arcs:
- The Ashes: Smith is the defining batting figure of his era in this rivalry; Root is England’s long-serving run engine with epic workloads.
- Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Kohli’s touring hundreds, leadership energy and run-chasing intent in hostile environments became defining images; Smith, again, looms as the strategic problem to solve.
- Subcontinent tours: Root’s spin game turned series single-handedly; Williamson’s patience produced slow-death doubles.

Last 36 months: current form and evolution without the noise of dates

A sensible window to judge recency without chasing week-to-week swings is the last three seasons. Through this lens:

Root’s output shows sustained volume, marked by an elevated scoring rate and freedom after captaincy.
Williamson’s Test average in this window remains imperious; long stays at the crease, minimal false shots, and big hundreds with little drama.
Smith’s troughs still look like other players’ peaks; even a “quiet” month for Smith can contain a series-defining 80 or 100 in tough conditions.
Kohli re-anchored his white-ball dominance with high-importance hundreds and rebuilt a steady red-ball base, adding careful shot selection outside off and patience against the wobble seam.

Captaincy and leadership impact

Virat Kohli: Modernized fitness standards, created a ruthless fast-bowling pack, and demanded away ambition. Captaincy uplifted his batting in phases; the hallmark remains elite intensity in high-leverage sessions.
Kane Williamson: Calm in storms, statesman-like, world-champion credibility, and a blueprint for how a small cricketing nation competes above its weight. His batting sets the dressing-room pulse.
Joe Root: The weight-bearer through transition, churned runs while managing an evolving attack and a new white-ball identity around him. Endurance defines his leadership imprint.
Steve Smith: Tactical dissector with a sharp feel for angles and field placements; leadership legacy includes adversity, accountability, and a cricket brain that never switches off.

Records and milestones that shape the debate

ODI centuries: Kohli comfortably leads the group with a monumental tally, including a record pile in run-chases.
Test average at elite level: Smith occupies the rare air; Williamson not far, with an all-surfaces method; Root and Kohli cluster near the hallmark number for modern greats.
Double centuries: Williamson’s doubles come like long walks on a quiet beach; Root stacked multiple doubles during a hot streak; Smith’s doubles break series open; Kohli’s doubles fueled home dominance and away credibility alike.
Fast climbs to career run-marks: Each has had speed-run phases to landmarks; the rate of accumulation spikes correlate with technical refinements discussed above.

Fab Four vs Fab Five: where Babar Azam fits

The debate shifted from “Fab Four” to “Fab Five” as Babar Azam stacked up excellence across formats. Where does he sit relative to the quartet?

Babar’s case

Test batting: A clean, orthodox technique with a high elbow and superb back-foot punches. Babar’s best red-ball work—especially away—shows the traits associated with the Fab Four: tight leaves, stable base, and patient scoring. Volume-wise, he is a step behind in cumulative Test totals but trending upward with a strong top-order role.
ODIs: An elite average and a steady stream of centuries make him a definitive top-tier one-day batter. His pacing is classical: low-risk early, gear change later, superb use of angles and late cuts against pace-off.
T20Is: Anchors and manipulates through spinners with immaculate wrist control, though strike-rate debates surface in certain match-ups and phases.

How he stacks against each Fab Four member

Versus Kohli: Babar brings ODI consistency and elegance comparable to India’s great chaser, but Kohli’s longevity, centuries, and tournament legacy tilt the ledger.
Versus Smith: Test-match peak dominance still favors Smith; Babar’s method suggests staying power, yet conversion and series-swing potential remain Smith’s edge.
Versus Root: Against spin and in Asia, Root’s sweep-heavy mastery is still the gold standard; Babar’s classical approach is elite but leans less on high-variance sweeps.
Versus Williamson: Both are purists. Williamson’s away and multi-format body of work remains fuller; Babar’s ODI volume and T20I class close gaps in white-ball contexts.

Fab Four vs Fab Five verdict

Babar belongs in top-tier modern batting conversations and, by white-ball metrics, knocks on the door of any “Fab Five” extension. The original Fab Four frame stays valid for historical cohesion and comparative symmetry, but the “Fab Five” construct has real substance when the lens broadens beyond just Test hegemony to multi-format value.

Best among the Fab Four: a criteria-led verdict

A fair verdict should be process-driven. Here’s the framework:

Test away average, with SENA emphasis
Conversion rate from 50 to 100 in Tests
Clutch or match-bending innings in iconic series
ODI impact: centuries, chasing performance, tournament pedigree
Consistency in the latest multi-season window
Technical robustness across conditions (pace, spin, swing)
Leadership and series outcomes as tie-breakers, not primary determinants

Applying the criteria

Steve Smith: Leads on pure Test dominance—away returns, particularly in England, and conversion levels put him in a rare bracket. Method reroutes bowling plans entirely. Even his “quiet” patches host innings others cannot replicate. In a Test-first hierarchy, Smith sits atop.
Joe Root: Workload monster and the most rounded against spin through late-innovation sweeps. In the past few seasons, Root improved his scoring tempo without sacrificing control, stacking huge run volumes. As a Test run-accumulator, he challenges for the No. 1 slot on sheer weight.
Kane Williamson: The most aesthetically perfect method, allied to quiet, ruthless efficiency. His WTC silverware and big-match serenity boost his portfolio. On balance, he slightly trails Smith on raw Test dominance but often matches him on control.
Virat Kohli: The ODI number one of the group without an asterisk, and the most magnetic away-tons narrative in Tests. Add captaincy revolution and peerless chasing. In a multi-format composite, Kohli’s case gets heavier; in a Test-only cut, he sits narrowly behind the Smith–Williamson bracket, neck-and-neck with Root depending on the window you pick.

Verdict in one line

Test-only crown: Steve Smith, on away strength and conversion.
ODI crown: Virat Kohli, by an unmistakable margin.
Multi-format composite: Kohli has the edge on aggregate legacy; Smith holds the red-ball scepter; Root and Williamson remain millimeters apart, one with volume, the other with control.

Tactical breakdowns you feel in the field

Kohli vs. fifth-stump channel: Early in an innings, he trusts the leave more than the drive, especially away; once set, he commands that channel with a cover drive that crumples field settings. Bowlers try the fourth-stump heavy length with a short midwicket; he responds by punching straighter and waiting for width.
Smith’s pick-up through midwicket: The bowl full on middle-and-leg to cramp him; he shuffles, gets inside the line, and the ball darts to the leg side with a slingshot wrist action. Captains move midwicket squarer; Smith then glances finer or returns to off-side nudges.
Root’s late cut: Seamers hate how a good length turns into a single to third man. Fielders come up; Root answers with a checked on-drive. Spinners hate his reverse sweep off a near-yorker length; he plays it late, rolling wrists to kill risk.
Williamson’s dead-bat leaves: Bowlers beg for a flirt; Williamson doesn’t chase. His bat angle bleeds pace on contact. Slip cordons grow impatient; they try fuller and straighter; he picks through mid-on with a soft punch that looks simple and feels brutal.

Clutch innings: a short memory lane

Kohli’s away hundreds in hard conditions: the authoritative punch on bouncy decks, the self-control in wobble-seam channels; innings that turned hostile crowds into silent galleries.
Smith’s Ashes marathons: bowlers cycle through plans; past 40, his chance rate drops to near-zero; fielders memorize the sight of a single to long leg like a metronome.
Root’s series where spin-bowling attacks broke first: the reverse sweep parade, the gliding control after lunch, the slow suffocation by singles into strange fields.
Williamson’s quiet rescues: a double that seemed programmed, a chase finish with the least fuss imaginable, a last-ball dive that turned a Test finish into cinematic memory.

Fab Four head-to-head narratives

Kohli vs. Smith: The sport’s loudest batting rivalry of the era—different shapes, similar results. Kohli owns ODI supremacy; Smith red-ball iron throne. Their presence arms captains and bowling coaches with entire strategy documents.
Root vs. Smith: The Ashes defines their rivalry, but their batting signatures have diverged. Smith breaks attacks; Root chips, chisels, and then sculpts.
Kohli vs. Root: Two captains who hauled teams through transition; one set a fast-bowling culture, the other bore the weight of batting volume.
Williamson vs. everyone: He is the quiet common denominator—no fuss, no drama, numbers that make analysts nod, and match outcomes that whisper his name.

Format-split table: comparative strengths at a glance

Attribute	Virat Kohli	Steve Smith	Joe Root	Kane Williamson
Tests (overall)	Elite; big away tons	Era-defining; best average	Huge volumes; spin master	Near-perfect control; big doubles
Tests (SENA)	Strong, Australia highlight	Outstanding, England highlight	Strong grind and skill	Smooth, minimal drop-off
Tests (Asia)	Excellent smothering spin	Controlled, low false shots	Best sweeper of spin	Late-deflection master
ODIs	Greatest among the four	Tournament big-game value	Anchor with high consistency	Tempo controller, low-risk
T20Is	Chase anchor, clutch	Role player, situational	Limited but capable	Match-up tactician, glue
Spin mastery	Excellent	Excellent	Benchmark sweeper	Under-spin specialist
Pace mastery	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional control
Leadership impact	High cultural impact	Tactical acumen	Endurance leader	Statesman, title-winner

The analytics sidebar: metrics that matter and why

Beyond average and strike rate, modern batting analysis uses measurements like:

Balls per dismissal: Contextualizes staying power, especially in Tests.
Control percentage and false-shot percentage: Quantifies the feel we see—why Williamson and Smith seem unbothered; why Root feels inevitable on slow decks.
50-to-100 conversion rate: Tracks ruthlessness once set.
Boundary percentage vs. rotation percentage: Explains who leans on power and who dominates via manipulation.
Phase splits (powerplay/middle/death) in ODIs and T20Is: Clarifies who paces chases and who finishes.
Venue clusters: For instance, English early-season swing vs. high-bounce Australian decks vs. slow-burn Asian turners.

In these advanced lenses, the quartet continues to outpace their contemporaries. Williamson and Smith tend to own control rates; Root leads in rotation efficiency; Kohli dominates conversion in ODIs and maintains high chase-phase strike rates with minimal dot-ball exposure.

Why the Fab Four label endures

Balance: Right-handers all, yet four entirely different batting vocabularies.
Longevity: Class that survives rule changes, formats, and bowling trends.
Rivalry: Cross-continental competition without requiring a shared bilateral storyline.
Accessibility: Fans can explain their differences in a sentence; analysts can debate their similarities for hours.

Extended comparisons and micro-debates

Which technique travels best to SENA?

Smith’s exaggerated trigger and late contact point are tailor-made for seam and bounce. Williamson’s simple base is equally portable. Root’s late hands blossom in England and, now, in Asia. Kohli’s head position and alignment fix made him far better in the fifth-stump corridor away.

Who is best in Asia?

Root’s sweep revolution gives him a unique edge. Williamson’s compact method is superb. Kohli’s use of feet and crease smothers quality spin. Smith’s low false-shot method sustains him even when not dominating.

Who has the most away hundreds?

Smith and Root built huge away logs; Williamson’s away tally underlines his low-variance approach; Kohli’s headline away hundreds define his personal highlight reel. The exact totals swing with every series, but the pattern holds: the quartet collectively own more away excellence than any peer group of the era.

Who owns the fourth innings?

Williamson, on pure calm and outcomes. Root, on longevity and grind. Kohli, on tempo-shifts in tough chases. Smith, on the power to remove fourth-innings pressure by winning the game earlier.

The culture impact: how the Fab Four changed team-building

Fitness and fielding: Kohli’s standards rewired what an international dressing room expects from its batters physically.
Data acceptance: Smith’s method exploded myths about orthodoxy; analysts leveraged ball-tracking and dismissal patterns to support unconventional setups.
Spin play modernization: Root demonstrated that reverse sweeps and paddles aren’t gimmicks but pillars of a sustainable Test method in Asia.
Minimalism returns: Williamson proved minimal movement and cadence could still dominate in an era of power and noise.

Case studies: innings that double as tutorials

Kohli’s away masterclass against high pace: Hard hands become soft after the first twenty balls; drives go straighter; wrists control the on-side with compact pick-up. Watch the leaves; they tell you how quickly he has read length off the pitch.
Smith’s England epic: The trigger isn’t a quirk; it’s a solution. He gets over off, eliminates lbw, invites straighter lines, and harvests leg-side runs. His stillness at impact erases most movement.
Root in Asia: Spinners bowl a good length; Root relocates it with the sweep. He doesn’t wait for the shot to be on; he makes it on through early decision-making. Boundary balls arrive on his schedule, not theirs.
Williamson’s doubles: Start at 2 an over, creep to 3.5, always under control. The bat face meets the ball as if it were a handshake, never a collision. Bowlers feel like they’re doing fine; the scoreboard says otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

What does “Fab Four in cricket” mean?
It refers to Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson—a generational quartet of batters whose consistency and adaptability across formats set them apart.

Who coined or popularized the term?
The phrase took hold in mainstream cricket conversation through writers and broadcasters, with Martin Crowe’s advocacy playing a notable role in fixing the label for the modern era.

Is Babar Azam part of the Fab Four?
The original Fab Four doesn’t include him, but many analysts and fans now use “Fab Five” to reflect Babar’s multi-format excellence and growing red-ball portfolio.

Who is the best among the Fab Four?
By Test dominance, Steve Smith sits first. By ODI impact, Virat Kohli leads comfortably. On a multi-format composite, Kohli’s aggregate legacy can edge the field; Root’s volume and Williamson’s control round out a quartet with razor-thin gaps.

Which Fab Four batter is best in Asia?
Joe Root’s sweep-led blueprint gives him a unique advantage; Williamson’s balance, Kohli’s crease-work, and Smith’s late contact make them formidable too.

Which Fab Four thrives most in SENA?
Steve Smith for away dominance with a spotlight on England. Williamson’s minimal drop-off, Root’s grind and technique, and Kohli’s headline away tons complete the picture.

What is the Fab Four in Test cricket vs ODI vs T20I?
In Tests, all four are elite, with Smith the most dominant. In ODIs, Kohli is the standout, while Root and Williamson provide high-value anchoring and Smith shines in big tournaments. In T20Is, Kohli’s chasing craft is the headline; the others are role-specific contributors.

What’s the Fab Four Hindi or Urdu meaning?
It’s a nickname translating to “चार महान बल्लेबाज़” in Hindi and “چار عظیم بلے باز” in Urdu—four modern great batters of the era.

A compact data-style table for evergreen reference

Note: The table uses directional indicators to keep the focus on stable truths rather than volatile exact figures.

Category	Kohli	Smith	Root	Williamson
Test career tier	Elite	Era-defining	Elite volume	Elite control
Test away/SENA	Strong	Outstanding	Strong	Strong-to-outstanding
Test conversion	High	Very high	High (surged mid-career)	Very high
ODI centuries	Most in group	Moderate	High	High
ODI chasing	Best in group	Strong	Reliable	Calm and efficient
T20I role	Chase anchor	Situational	Limited presence	Match-up glue
Spin mastery	Excellent	Excellent	Benchmark sweeper	Under-spin specialist
Pace mastery	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional control
Leadership impact	High cultural impact	Tactical acumen	Endurance leader	Statesman, title-winner

What the next cycle likely brings

Kohli will continue to define ODI chasing and add selective red-ball heft, focusing on disciplined leaves and on-side control in SENA.
Smith will trim noise from his game as always, translating even minor corrections into more hundreds. England will never stop planning; he will never stop unpicking those plans.
Root will remain the seamstress of innings—endlessly stitching singles into blankets that keep his team warm in cold sessions. Expect more sweep-led masterclasses in Asia.
Williamson will keep chiseling statues out of granite pitches. If you want to teach a young batter balance and patience, show them Williamson’s first thirty balls on any deck.

Final verdict: the Fab Four as living curriculum

To watch the Fab Four is to attend four different schools of batting:

Kohli teaches courage of tempo: knowing when to push, when to pause, how to hunt in run-chases without losing shape.
Smith teaches problem-solving: redesign the stance, move the guard, own the channels, and outlast everything thrown at you.
Root teaches craftsmanship: use touch, angles, and patience to make bowlers hate their best length.
Williamson teaches serenity: let the ball come, let the game come; control is a quiet superpower.

Rankings make the argument fun, but the deeper lesson is broader: there are many ways to be great. The Fab Four in cricket embody that in every innings they play. They came from different coaching cultures, walked different roads through captaincy, and peaked at different times. Yet they finish in the same place—at the top of the scorecard and the center of their teams’ ambition.

Cricket’s modern era will be remembered for a bowling boom and a white-ball revolution, but it will also be remembered for four batters who never blinked at the hardest questions the game can ask. Whether you stick with Fab Four or evolve to Fab Five, the heart of the conversation doesn’t change: greatness is not a single template. It’s a set of answers to conditions, opponents, and moments. Kohli, Smith, Root, and Williamson wrote those answers in bold, across formats, home and away, season after season. That is why the Fab Four label endures—and why it still feels fresh each time one of them walks out with bat in hand.