New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will continue his progress to get back to match fitness and will not play the Kiwis' second match of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 being played in India. New Zealand defeated England soundly in the tournament opener on October 5.
The New Zealand captain trained with the squad after their comprehensive victory, but he will miss New Zealand’s second match of the tournament when they face the Netherlands on 9 October while he targets a return to the side four days later against Bangladesh.
The 33-year-old batted in New Zealand’s Cricket World Cup warm-up matches against Pakistan and South Africa but was not risked in the field as he continues to recover from a torn anterior cruciate ligament earlier this year.
“Kane's been progressing very well. I think the fielding is still the element for him he's just got to get a little bit higher, and he gets a little bit more trust in his body. But he's progressing well and we are pretty confident that he will be playing the third match for us.
We've got another training to get through today, so we'll finalize the team (for the match against the Netherlands) once we've got through that training. But at this stage with Kane, we are looking like the third game is when he will start the tournament,” ICC quoted NZ coach Gary Stead.
While Williamson continues to work his way back to full fitness, New Zealand is set to be buoyed by the availability of fast bowlers Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson.
"Lockie Ferguson got through that training well. So providing he's scrubbed up okay this morning, he will be available for this next game. Tim Southee also got through the training well. It was great to see him back at the bowling crease and also doing a little bit of fielding.
He will just get a final x-ray done this morning and then we will make a call after that, but it's all looking good for selection from now on and into the rest of the tournament,” Stead added.
New Zealand next plays Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 9 and will then face Bangladesh in Chennai on October 13.
