New Zealand cricket fans have a reason to be optimistic as their captain and batting mainstay Kane Williamson has not been ruled out of the upcoming ODI World Cup in India, despite suffering a serious knee injury in the IPL earlier this year.
Williamson, who led New Zealand to the finals of the 2015 and 2019 editions of the 50-over showpiece event, ruptured his right knee ACL while playing for Gujarat Titans against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad in April. He underwent surgery later that month and has been out of action since then.
However, the 33-year-old has shown signs of progress in his recovery and has recently resumed batting in the nets. He posted a video of himself on social media, hitting some shots and captioning it “back at it”.
He is also scheduled to join the New Zealand squad during their series against England next month, ahead of the World Cup, to continue his rehabilitation under the guidance of the medical staff.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead Optimistic but cautious about Williamson’s availability
New Zealand coach Gary Stead, who recently signed a two-year contract extension till mid-2025, said that the team management is hopeful of having Williamson fit and available for the World Cup, but they are also careful not to rush him or put too much pressure on him.
“Kane’s working on a day-by-day, week-by-week process and we’ve been really clear and careful with him that we don’t look too far ahead and get expectations too big or not big enough at times as well,” Stead told reporters in Auckland on Wednesday.
“We will take every measure we can to make sure that we get the medical advice that lines up and he’s where we want him to be before we make that call on whether he goes (to India for the World Cup) or not.”
Stead said that Williamson’s selection will depend on how he responds to the increasing intensity of his training and how he copes with the demands of playing competitive cricket.
“He’s not facing bowlers yet, but he’s basically doing everything else,” Stead said. “With the knee, we’re just being careful with how that twists. We couldn’t have asked for more from him in that space. It’s encouraging to see where he’s at and how he’s going, but that doesn’t promise that he’ll be part of this World Cup squad just yet.”
New Zealand Willing to include Williamson even if he misses Initial matches
Stead also revealed that New Zealand is considering naming Williamson in their World Cup squad of 15, which has to be announced by September 5, even if he is not fully fit by then or has to miss some of the initial matches.
The World Cup will feature 10 teams playing each other in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semifinals. New Zealand will play nine group-stage matches between October 5 and November 4, while the semifinals will begin on November 15.
Williamson has been a key player for New Zealand in the previous two World Cups, scoring 578 runs in 2015 and 578 runs in 2019, including a match-winning century against South Africa in a tense chase.
Stead said that if Williamson shows promising signs of recovery and can be available for the latter stages of the tournament, New Zealand will definitely consider including him in their squad.
“I think that’s something we are talking about at the moment. If it’s the knockout stages, I think that might be too late because you’re really saying something that you may or may not even be there, but if it was earlier in the World Cup we’d definitely be considering it,” Stead said.
New Zealand’s World Cup schedule
New Zealand will begin their World Cup campaign with a high-profile clash against defending champions England at Ahmedabad on October 5. They will then face Qualifier 1 at Hyderabad on October 9, Bangladesh at Chennai on October 14, Afghanistan at Chennai on October 18, India at Dharamsala on October 22, Qualifier 2 at Hyderabad on October 23, South Africa at Pune on November 1, Pakistan at Bengaluru on November 4 and Australia at Dharamsala on November 8.
The following table summarizes New Zealand’s World Cup schedule:-
| Opponent | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| England | October 5 | Ahmedabad |
| Qualifier 1 | October 9 | Hyderabad |
| Bangladesh | October 14 | Chennai |
| Afghanistan | October 18 | Chennai |
| India | October 22 | Dharamsala |
| Qualifier 2 | October 23 | Hyderabad |
| South Africa | November 1 | Pune |
| Pakistan | November 4 | Bengaluru |
| Australia | November 8 | Dharamsala |
