New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is set to be included in the Black Caps’ squad ODI World Cup 2023 set to be held in India
New Delhi: Kane Williamson will be part of the New Zealand squad for the ODI World Cup 2023 which is set to take place in India from October 5. The batter is currently recovering from a knee surgery that ruled him out of cricketing action since IPL 2023.
The 33-year-old suffered a ruptured ACL in his right knee during the opening match of IPL 2023 while representing Gujarat Titans against Chennai Super Kings earlier this year. But he has recently made strong progress in a bid to lead his country into battle at the 50-over showcase and was recently returned to batting in the nets alongside his teammates as they gear up for an important white-ball series against England, commencing from August 30.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead said while Williamson is progressing well, it still doesn’t confirm his availability for the first match against England in the mega tournament
“Kane has applied phenomenal dedication to his rehabilitation and has been supported by a strong group of experts around him. He’s left no stone unturned in trying to get back playing cricket at the highest level. We are delighted to be in a place to select him,” said Gary Stead.
“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.”Stead noted there wasn’t a specific match timeline on Williamson’s return to play.
“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 noted there wasn’t a specific match timeline on Williamson’s return to play. “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.”
Williamson was delighted to be in a position to take part in the World Cup and said “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. 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.”
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