ODI World Cup 2023: The New Zealand team management is open to having Kane Williamson serve as a mentor for the ODI World Cup 2023 in India. The Kiwi star batter who got injured while playing in Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL 2023) for Gujarat Titans will make his presence felt for the Blackcaps in the marquee tournament. At the same time, Williamson’s participation in the World Cup as a player has not yet been ruled out by New Zealand head coach Gary Stead.
Williamson returned from India on crutches after sustaining a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the first game of the 2023 IPL. He later underwent successful surgery.
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What Gary Stead said about Kane Williamson?
Williamson is still receiving therapy, so his knee is still in a brace.
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“Look, it’s still far too early to know,” Gary Stead said as per ESPNCricinfo ahead of the five-match ODI series in Pakistan.
“He’s had the operation and, to date, what we know, that’s been successful. So he is in the very, very early stages of his rehab programme.”
“It’s obviously pretty non-weight-bearing at this stage, and he’s in a brace. So, it’s really just meeting milestones as we go. Our line around Kane, at the moment, is still it’s unlikely that he will be available, but we certainly don’t want to rule out a person of his class and calibre, and the things he brings to this team, too early in case there is that chance still,” he added.
“Yeah, absolutely [would take him to India as a mentor],” coach opined.
ODI World Cup 2023
With 12 Indian cities selected as host cities, the ODI World Cup is anticipated to begin on October 5 and end on November 19. However, the final schedule has not yet been made public.
The ICC usually releases the World Cup schedules at least a year in advance, but this time it was also holding off until the BCCI received the required approvals from the Indian government. Long-term planning in New Zealand has been considerably hampered by the wait for the timetable.
How Kane Williamson got injured in IPL 2023?
Gujarat Titans star Williamson was hurt after he stumbled while trying to take a catch against CSK close to the boundary. The Kiwi captain collapsed to the ground holding his knee, necessitating the urgent arrival of physios.
He was hauled off the pitch right away, and Sai Sudarshan took his place for the rest of the game as the impact player.
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