NEWS
Follow UsNew Zealand head coach Gary Stead has confirmed that skipper Kane Williamson will play in the upcoming World Cup in India, starting October 5. Williamson had been out of action since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
The rest of the squad will be announced on September 11 at an event in Auckland at Papatoetoe High School, Ish Sodhi’s old school.
Stead,, however, insists that Williamson's selection does not guarantee an automatic selection for the tournament's first game, which will be played against defending champions England at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. However, the New Zealand skipper is said to have made good progress and was recently seen batting in the nets.
“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 to playing cricket at the highest level. We are delighted to be in a place to select him," Stead said.
“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.”
“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 said that he is delighted to play in his fourth World Cup.
“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 said.
