"You do have some good days, then you have a few variable ones" - Kane Williamson on his recovery from knee injury
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has expressed optimism about playing the 2023 World Cup, which is all set to take place in India. The classy right-handed batter remains wary of getting too far ahead and wants to keep working hard.
Williamson sustained a knee injury while fielding for the Gujarat Titans in the opening match of IPL 2023. As a result, the 33-year-old was ruled out of the remaining matches, with Sri Lankan limited-overs skipper Dasun Shanaka taking his place.
Kane Williamson joining the Bay Oval Camp today in sunny Bay of Plenty. Time for a korero with a couple of longtime New Zealand and @ndcricket teammates and an update with media. #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/GJBmnbdP2A
Williamson suggested that his knee is very much on track to looking right but feels hardships and setbacks are a big part of the recovery process. As quoted by stuff.co.nz, he stated:
"If the knee is at a stage where that can be a reality, that's great, but it very much is about getting it right and making sure it is ready to go when that time comes – whenever that time is. You do have some good days, then you have a few variable ones. It’s all part of the journey, it's hard to get too far ahead of yourself, because you see something really good in one place, but you still know there's a lot of work to do."
The Tauranga-born cricketer will not play in the upcoming limited-overs tour of England. Tim Southee will lead the T20I side, while Tom Latham will take charge of the ODI team.
"It's still just guesswork at the moment" - Kane Williamson
While Williamson could not provide an exact timeline for his return, he reckons it's all about staying in the present and working hard. He added:
"To potentially have that opportunity and use all those sorts of different, I suppose, scenarios to try and make that happen would be great. It's still just guesswork at the moment in terms of when the day is or how it's tracking at the time. So it is just about the now and I'm working hard to keep it moving forward."
Squad News | @Tomlatham2 will lead an experienced ODI squad against @englandcricket this September. Read more - on.nzc.nz/442TnB9 #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/5Je9qYGAur
The veteran cricketer captained the Black Caps to the 2019 World Cup final, where they missed out on winning the trophy marginally.