Ahead of the eagerly awaited 2023 World Cup in India, New Zealand’s captain, Kane Williamson, has shared his optimistic outlook regarding his participation in the tournament. Despite his positive stance, the elegant right-handed batter is exercising caution and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a grounded approach. He is committed to diligent and consistent hard work in his journey towards recovery.
Williamson’s bizarre injury
Williamson’s recent setback occurred when he sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. This injury necessitated surgical intervention and resulted in his withdrawal from the remainder of the IPL matches. In his absence, Sri Lanka limited-overs captain Dasun Shanaka took on the role for the Gujarat Titans (GT) team.
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Prioritizing attainment of minor milestones rather than hastening the process
Since the injury, Williamson has been on the sidelines, raising doubts about his availability for the World Cup. However, he is taking a measured approach to his recovery, focusing on achieving smaller milestones in his rehabilitation journey rather than rushing the process.
“To be at the World Cup is always special. It’s still just guesswork at the moment in terms of when the day is or how it’s tracking at the time. There’s a lot of work to do. I am just really following the program, with the professionals for physio, the support staff and New Zealand cricket,” Williamson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“And it’s tough, because you do have some good days, and then you have a few variable ones. However, something like that [World Cup] in the back of your mind is obviously motivating, and you want to keep seeing those improvements,” he added.
The 33-year-old has begun throwdowns in the net sessions and is hopeful of taking on the bowlers in the coming weeks.
“Yeah, still, throws and things, working through some of those positions. I never really had to break it down so much ever in terms of some of the spin work, the variation and links, all these sorts of things that you never thought too much about,” he said.
“Now, you’re really trying to exaggerate some of the movements and get them better prepared for the higher intensity stuff. But you know, it is progressing nicely, and hopefully not too far away, really from both,” Williamson concluded.
The Tauranga-born cricketer will be absent from the upcoming limited-overs tour of England. Tim Southee is set to lead the T20I squad, while Tom Latham will be in charge of the ODI team. The teams are scheduled to compete in four T20Is and an equal number of ODIs. Additionally, the visiting team will participate in a pair of warm-up T20 matches as a precursor to the main series. The ODI matches are slated to begin on September 8, and the tour will come to a close on September 15.
