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The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) Board has given their skipper, Kane Williamson, a period of two weeks to prove his complete fitness ahead of the World Cup. Williamson, who is rehabilitating from a knee injury he suffered during the opening match of the IPL 2023, will be looking to get fit as fast as possible and lead the Kiwis in the World Cup.
Williamson sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to his right knee on March 31 while participating in the IPL 2023 season opener for the Gujarat Titans against the Chennai Super Kings. He landed awkwardly on his right leg while attempting to block a six close to the boundary and had to be helped off the ground. He underwent surgery the following month, and since then, he has been in rehabilitation.
But the rehab has been going well for him, as he has started practicing with the squad, and has also faced throwdowns in the nets. NZ’s head coach, Gary Stead, informed that they still have about two weeks left to announce the squad, and the management will be giving him every chance till those two weeks are up.
“He’s progressing really well, but there’s a lot of work for him still to do to make sure he gets where we need him to be,” said Gary Stead. "There will be honest conversations that Kane and I will have with each other around exactly where he is at, to make sure we get the best outcome for our team but also the best outcome for Kane Williamson and his long-term career," Stead further added.
He also hinted at the possibility that Kane might not get fit at the start of the tournament, in which case the board will select him and play him only after he gets totally fit. This could mean that Williamson may miss a few of New Zealand’s starting fixtures. He stated that the decision regarding Kane’s participation will be taken after judging what is best for the team as well as Kane and his long-term career.
Williamson, who is considered to be a part of the prestigious Fab Four club, has been an integral part of the Kiwis in the past decade, especially in World Cups. In the previous World Cup in 2019, he ended up as the highest run-getter in the tournament and ended up winning the Player of the Series award. He has been part of both previous editions, where New Zealand ended up on the losing side in the finals. In ODIs, he has scored 6554 runs at an average of 47.83 and SR of 80.97.
