On Tuesday, the hopes of New Zealand for the 50-over World Cup obtained a boost with Kane Williamson selected to captain New Zealand at the World Cup 2023 despite still healing from a severe knee injury.
In the ODI format, Williamson has scored more than 6,500 runs and led the Black Caps in their nail-biting loss to England in the final of the 2019 World Cup.
The NZ skipper has been sidelined since April after surgery to restore torn ligaments in his right knee hurt while playing for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Williamson told New Zealand media that Naturally, the practice isn’t outstanding, but he didn’t obtain too much of a say in it and the possibility of playing at the upcoming World Cup is really exciting. It’s about beating off those things I require to do for my knee and look ahead to the competition, he added.
New Zealand’s 15-member squad will be announced on September 11, but Williamson is already in after persuading head coach Gary Stead of his fitness.
Gary Stead, the head coach of New Zealand said that Williamson has laid phenomenal dedication to his rehabilitation. He’s left no stone unturned in attempting to get back playing cricket at the highest level and we are pleased to be in a position to pick him, he added.
New Zealand is scheduled to play the defending champion England in the opener of the World Cup in Ahmedabad on October 5, but Stead said there isn’t a specific timeline for the return of Kane Williamson.
Stead said that we want to provide Williamson with every bit of available time to aid his healing. The World Cup is not a short tournament and we will continue to watch Kane’s improvement over the next month ahead of the first tournament contest, he added.
