New Zealand will face South Africa in their second warm-up fixture on October 2 in Thiruvananthapuram.
New Zealand's charismatic captain, Kane Williamson, expressed his sheer delight on returning to the field after more than six months in style in a warm-up game of the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 against Pakistan in Hyderabad on September 29, 2023.
Williamson notched up a remarkable half-century, guiding New Zealand to a convincing victory by five wickets against Pakistan in a 2023 ODI World Cup warm-up game at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday.
This innings held special significance for Williamson, as the New Zealand skipper reflected on his journey back to cricketing action from a knee injury that he sustained during the IPL 2023. Just five months ago, the prospect of playing in the World Cup 2023 was like a dream for him.
However, Williamson made a successful comeback against all odds, which showed his resilience and skill. His stunning performance against Pakistan is a big positive for New Zealand for the World Cup 2023.
Kane Williamson told broadcasters Star Sports after the warm-up game: “Just great to get through some batting out in the middle. It was nice to get some off the middle of the bat. Still some icing after it but it is a part of the process. It wasn't a reality five months ago but to be named in the squad was exciting. Was really looking forward to getting out there tonight and was really nice to get on the field.”
He added, “A fantastic day out. Obviously, Pakistan is a good side and both sides looked to get their plans right. As a bowling unit and batting unit, it was quite pleasing to finish on the winning side.”
Williamson said that the pitch was good for batting in Hyderabad, where he scored 54* off 50 deliveries laced with eight boundaries against Pakistan. He signed off by saying, “It was a good batting surface. We head into our next game. It will be a different surface and a different opposition. We will look to get our preparations right before our World Cup opener.”