Kane Williamson To Be Picked for NZ in World Cup
Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s ODI captain, is expected to be included in the World Cup team. However, it’s still unclear how much of the tournament he’ll be able to participate in. The head coach of the Black Caps, Gary Stead, believes that Williamson, who is 33 years old, has improved enough from a knee injury he sustained while playing for Gujarat Titans during the first match of IPL 2023.
“Kane has applied phenomenal dedication to his rehabilitation and has been supported by a strong group of experts around him,” Stead said. “He’s left no stone unturned in trying to get back to playing cricket at the highest level. We are delighted to be in a place to select him. At the same time, he’s also kept perspective about his recovery and hasn’t wanted to rush or force his way back too early. As we’ve previously said, it’s great he wants to play cricket for New Zealand in the long term.”
New Zealand Cricket said that “after injuring his knee playing in the IPL in March, Williamson has made sufficient progress in his recovery to allow him to be included in the squad for the tournament starting in October.”
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Williamson is currently with the New Zealand limited-overs team in England, where he is undergoing rehabilitation. Back on August 28, New Zealand coach Gary Stead mentioned that Williamson had a two-week window to demonstrate his readiness for the World Cup, and it seems he has met the requirements to secure his spot for now. In early August, he resumed training and gradually increased his training routine, fostering a sense of growing optimism that his participation in some part of the World Cup was no longer an unrealistic idea.
Whether Williamson will participate in the games remains uncertain. Williamson commented, “Through this entire process I have tried to keep an open mind on when I might be able to return to cricket and not get too focused on one date or match,” Williamson said. “Being selected doesn’t change that and I know there’s still work to do and day by day goals to tick off to get back on the field with the team.”
Stead added that the management had no timelines for Williamson’s participation and that his progress will be monitored over the next month building up to the World Cup opener against holders England on October 5 in Ahmedabad. “As we’ve said throughout this process we want to give Kane every bit of available time to aid his recovery. The World Cup is not a short tournament and we will continue to monitor his progress over the next month ahead of the first tournament match,” Stead added.
The remaining members of New Zealand’s 15-player squad will be announced in Auckland on September 11th.
During New Zealand’s tour of England, Kane Williamson has been with the Black Caps, although he is not a part of the T20 or 50-over squads. Instead, he has been practicing his batting skills in the nets and participating in fielding drills.
Williamson, who captained New Zealand when they lost the 2019 World Cup final to England at Lord’s, is widely regarded as one of his country’s finest batters in all formats. He has an impressive record, having played 161 ODIs and scoring 6,554 runs at an average of 47.83.
In the upcoming matches, England and New Zealand will face each other in the fourth T20 at Trent Bridge, followed by four ODIs. Currently, the hosts lead the series 2-1.
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