“Target to get the knee right”- Kane Williamson talks about his chances of playing in the World Cup 2023

Kane Williamson injured his knee in the first match of the IPL 2023 and has been out of action since then.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson spoke about his chances of playing in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 to be played in India from October 5 onwards and said that the current focus is on getting his knee right and making sure it is ready to go when the time comes.

Kane Williamson had torn his ACL in the opening match of the IPL 2023 where he turned out for the Gujarat Titans and has been out of commission since then. He underwent surgery to rectify the issue and it must be said that for an injury that takes its time to heal, Williamson has done really well to get back to facing throwdowns in just around four months after the injury.

Williamson was guarded while speaking about his recovery but did admit to entertaining thoughts of “earlier targets” given how he has been tracking.

“If the knee is at a stage where that can be a reality, that’s great, but it very much is about getting it right and making sure it is ready to go when that time comes – whenever that time is.

You do have some good days, then you have a few variable ones. It’s all part of the journey, it’s hard to get too far ahead of yourself, because you see something really good in one place, but you still know there’s a lot of work to do.

If I end up at a place where it’s realistic because all these bases are covered and it’s ticked off by the people who know a lot more about it than me, then that’s great,” Kane Williamson said during practice at Mount Maunganui.  

Although Williamson hasn’t been named for New Zealand’s tour of England, he continues to remain a strong prospect for the World Cup.

“It’s a tricky one”- Kane Williamson on playing against Bangladesh

Head coach Gary Stead stated a few days prior that they would “definitely be considering” selecting Williamson even if he becomes eligible and in form at a later stage of the competition. New Zealand will play Bangladesh in a three-match series but that’s not the timeline that Stead and Williamson are looking at anyway.

“It’s a tricky one. You start entertaining a few earlier targets. It is a lot about the healing element as well. You can have the strength work, the movement, the confidence, but the actual healing is what has to happen and there are a lot of things to really assess before that time. So, that series (against Bangladesh), by all accounts, is too early,” he added.

New Zealand are set to play the World Cup 2023 opener against England in Ahmedabad on October 5.   

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