Kane Williamson: The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 is just a few months away from now. The tournament will take place in India and it is expected that it will be played from 5th October. A total of 47 matches are likely to take place throughout the tournament. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have reportedly shortlisted 12 venues in Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, Rajkot, Bengaluru, Delhi, Indore, Mohali, Guwahati and Hyderabad. The governing body will organise an event on 27th June and will officially announce the schedule.
ICC ODI World Cup 2023: Kane Williamson hopeful of getting for the World Cup
New Zealand’s white-ball skipper Kane Williamson suffered a terrible injury in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. He was immediately ruled out of the tournament and was flown back to his home for the surgery.
Kane Williamson ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while fielding at the boundary ropes in the opening game of the IPL 2023. The Gujarat Titans batter was in immense pain and following his surgery, many reports said that he will miss ODI World Cup as well.
However, Kane Williamson himself isn’t ruling himself out of the tournament. He’s trying every possible way to be fit. Talking about his injury and recovery, he said:
“Very much just trying to keep it week-to-week at the moment. I haven’t had such a long-term injury before but talking to other people that have, the journey is a bit of a long one so if you look too far ahead it probably can become a little bit daunting.
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“Whereas, one week at a time, ticking off those small markers, those little wins that are nice to experience. But also knowing that the journey won’t be completely smooth and you have a few setbacks along the way that you have to navigate.”
ICC World Cup 2023: Gary Stead hasn’t ruled out Kane Williamson yet
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead also hasn’t ruled out Kane Williamson yet. He feels it’s too early to rule a player of his calibre out. He revealed that the skipper has undergone surgery and they will give him time to recover. He said:
“Look, it’s still far too early to know. 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 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.”
It remains to be seen if Kane Williamson will get fit for the event or not. If he doesn’t get fit in time then will be part of the team as a mentor.