ODI World Cup 2023: Kane Williamson to be part of NZ squad
Star New Zealand batter Kane Williamson will be part of the 15-member squad that will travel to India for the upcoming ODI World Cup. Notably, the 33-year-old suffered a horrific injury in the opening game of the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League and was expected to miss out on the marquee tournament. However, the cricketer has shown massive progress in the last few months and hence, he will be part of the Kiwi’s World Cup squad.
However, New Zealand Cricket has made it clear that the batter is on the road to recovery and is expected to be 100% fit before the commencement of the tournament. Notably, head coach Gary Stead gave him two weeks to prove his fitness but in just one week, the cricketer proved his fitness and is back in the scheme of things.
Meanwhile, Williamson has stated that there’s a lot of work still left to be done and he wants to tick one box at a time. He also mentioned that he is not focusing on a particular date or a match to mark his comeback.
“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,” Williamson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
We will continue to monitor his progress over the next month: Stead
The New Zealand head coach, Gary Stead, lauded Kane Williamson for doing a marvellous job in order to get fitter before the tournament. However, the head coach clarified that the team will not rush him and will only take a call regarding his match fitness before New Zealand’s opening game of the tournament against England, on October 5, in Ahmedabad.
“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. 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 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 mentioned.
