"We’re going to give him the full two weeks to prove where he's at" - New Zealand head coach on Williamson's recovery ahead of 2023 ODI World Cup
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has revealed that Kane Williamson has two weeks to prove his fitness, following which the Black Caps will name their squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
New Zealand have made it to the finals of each of the last two editions of the competition, but are still searching for their maiden world title. Their buildup to the upcoming tournament has been far from ideal, beginning with Kane Williamson's injury during the inaugural match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). He sustained the injury while trying to save a boundary and had to be helped off the field, ending his participation in the franchise league.
To add to their woes, all-rounder Michael Bracewell has also been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. He had a fruitful tour of India earlier this year, and had also participated in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as a replacement for Will Jacks.
Gary Stead admitted that Kane Williamson still has a way to go in terms of recovery. He told reporters ahead of the tour of England:
"We’ve got about two weeks from now until we name that side. Nothing’s changed at the moment, we’re going to give him every chance and use that full amount of time."
Stead continued:
"He’s in full rehab mode, he’s back batting in the nets again which is great to see. He’s progressing really well, but again there’s a lot of work for him still to do to make sure he gets to where we need him to be. So we’re going to give him the full two weeks to prove where he's at and for us it’s still a little bit of crystal ball-gazing, where he will be at."
Kane Williamson has traveled with the New Zealand squad to England for the white-ball tour to continue his recovery. The two sides will play four ODIs and four T20Is from August 30 onwards.
"Of course we want him at the World Cup" - Gary Stead on Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson was the player of the tournament of the 2019 edition of the tournament, and his batting ability as well as leadership are vital for the Black Caps. He last played for New Zealand during the home Test series against Sri Lanka, where he scored a century and a double-century.
Gary Stead said that he will be talking with the ace player regarding the plan for his comeback and also hinted at the possibility of excluding the skipper for the sake of his career. He said:
"Yes, of course we want him at the World Cup. There is that bigger picture in mind though that we want Kane Williamson fit for the rest of his career."
Stead concluded:
“They’ll be honest conversations that Kane and I will have with each other around exactly where he’s at to make sure we get the best outcome for our team, but also the best outcome for Kane Williamson and his long-term career.”
New Zealand are scheduled to play the opening match of the 2023 ODI World Cup against England on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.