ODI World Cup 2023: New Zealand's star batsman to miss the opening clash against England, check details
Priority is rehabilitation: star batter out of the starting lineup for New Zealand vs England
Kane Williamson will be unavailable for New Zealand's highly anticipated opening match of the 2023 World Cup against England on October 5th at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Despite the fact that he is recovering from a recurring knee injury, Williamson has decided to prioritise his therapy in order to complete his comeback. As a result, the Black Caps will be led by Tom Latham against the reigning world champions.
Gary Stead, the Black Caps' head coach, emphasised the team's commitment to a long-term approach to Kane's comeback to competitive cricket. "Right from the start, we've taken a long-term view on Kane's return to play," he said.
His recovery is going well, and it's now a case of making sure he can handle the demands and intensity of international cricket. We will handle Kane's recovery on a daily basis and will not hurry him back into action until he is totally prepared."
Tom Latham has been named captain of New Zealand for their first warm-up match against Pakistan, who will be headed by Babar Azam, on Friday, September 29th at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Williamson will only play as a specialist batsman in this warm-up match. Williamson will also put his batting and fielding skills to the test in the second warm-up game against South Africa in Trivandrum, according to an official release from New Zealand Cricket.
Kane Williamson's last competitive outing was in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), when he was injured while playing for the Gujarat Titans. He hasn't worn the New Zealand jersey in much than six months.
Following the England match, New Zealand will have a four-day break before facing the Netherlands, captained by Scott Edwards, on October 9th in Hyderabad.
The cricketing world is eagerly awaiting Williamson's return to full fitness, and it is unclear whether he will be fully recovered in time for the match against the Dutch squad.