Australian great Ricky Ponting feels Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson could benefit from spending a few days away from cricket ahead of the final test against Australia in Sydney.
Williamson has been heavily criticised during the trans-Tasman series against Australia, due to some questionable decision-making and poor form with the bat.
In four innings against Australia the 29-year-old has managed scores of 14, 34, 9 and 0.
Speaking to cricket.com.au, Ponting offered Williamson, the world's third-ranked test batsman, some advice on what he could do to rediscover his form.
"As their best player and one of the best players in the world… you can understand that he's a little bit down on the way things have gone and you can understand he's under pressure.
"He's obviously a terrific player and he's obviously been a great leader of New Zealand for a long time, highlighted by what they were able to achieve as a group during the World Cup.
"Maybe if he can get a couple of days away from the game and think about something else other than cricket because it can be a game that consumes you and can get the better of you.
"I always felt that when I was struggling with my batting that you were better off taking a couple of days away and freshen up mentally rather than working extra hard on your game.
"He's too good a player to have three bad tests in a row. I'm sure he'll contribute with the bat in Sydney."
Earlier this week, Ponting was one of many former players to criticise Williamson, putting the spotlight on the 29-year-old's captaincy for some odd decision-making.
Ponting highlighted the moment Williamson decided to let Tom Blundell - who is usually a wicket-keeper - bowl, a decision former Blackcaps captain Brendon McCullum labelled "staggering".
"I think a lot of it comes back to the fact he's under pressure as a captain, the Australians have played really well and New Zealand have been dominated," Ponting added.
"I think at times in Perth he looked really good. I don't think he's playing poorly, he just hasn't got the rewards he wanted nor the results his team have needed.
"Brendon said on air the other day that [Williamson] probably wasn't enjoying himself and didn't have as much of a smile on his face, which suggests he might be under a little bit of pressure.
"It's a hard thing when you're under pressure as a captain and the things aren't going the way you want them to go, it's hard to be happy and positive all the time."
The third and final test gets underway on Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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