Kane Williamson, the captain of New Zealand’s white-ball squad, is unlikely to participate in the ODI World Cup later this year, but he may still go to India for the major competition as a team adviser.
Gary Stead, the head coach, said he would “absolutely” try to use the seasoned batter and limited-overs captain in a mentoring capacity.
Williamson is receiving rehabilitation following successful surgery on his right knee’s anterior cruciate ligament.
The 32-year-old sustained the injury while playing in his first Indian Premier League game for the Gujarat Titans last month.
It’s still way too soon to tell. According to what we now know, the surgery that he had was successful. Therefore, he is still very much in the beginning stages of his rehabilitation program, Stead told reporters before New Zealand’s five-match ODI series against Pakistan.
“He’s wearing a brace, so it’s not very weight-bearing at this point. It’s just achieving milestones as we go.
Given that an ACL tear is supposed to take nine months to heal, the injury has all but eliminated the Black Caps captain from the 50-over competition, which begins in October. Stead, however, maintains his optimism.
Our current stance on Kane is that it’s still doubtful that he will be available, but we wouldn’t want to rule out someone of his caliber and the qualities he brings to our squad too quickly in case there is still a chance.
In the previous two 50-over World Cups, New Zealand placed second. The Black Caps were defeated by hosts England in the 2019 50-over World Cup when Williamson served as captain on a boundary count.
