Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s white-ball cricket captain, is set to be part of the 15-man World Cup squad, despite currently undergoing rehabilitation from knee surgery following a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament sustained during the IPL 2023 season.
“Kane has applied phenomenal dedication to his rehabilitation and has been supported by a strong group of experts around him,” said Gary Stead, New Zealand’s coach (quoted by the ICC). “He’s left no stone unturned in trying to get back playing cricket at the highest level. We are delighted to be in a place to select him. At the same time, he’s also kept perspective about his recovery and hasn’t wanted to rush or force his way back too early. As we’ve previously said, it’s great he wants to play cricket for New Zealand in the long term.
“As we’ve said throughout this process, we want to give Kane every bit of available time to aid his recovery. The World Cup is not a short tournament, and we will continue to monitor his progress over the next month ahead of the first tournament match.”
While Williamson hopes to play a full part in the competition as New Zealand seek to be third time lucky – they were beaten finalists in both 2015 and 2019 – there are doubts about his readiness for the Black Caps’ opening match of the tournament against England.