PAK vs NZ: Kane Williamson, the Black Caps captain, made his return to the shortest format of the game last week in the ongoing five-match T20 International series against Pakistan. Injuries kept him out of cricket for the bulk of 2023, and 2024 has not started well for him either, as the 33-year-old has been sidelined yet again. He was looking well with a score of 26 runs in 15 balls next to his name during the second T20 international game against Pakistan in Hamilton, but he walked off the field and had to retire hurt owing to a hamstring injury.
The Kiwi skipper didn’t come out to field after the end of New Zealand’s batting as stand-in captain Tim Southee handled the leadership responsibilities in the absence of Williamson. The 33-year-old has returned to his hometown of Tauranga and is scheduled to get scans for his injury on Monday, January 15th.
The New Zealand selectors had decided to give Kane some rest as he was not going to play in the third T20 international against Pakistan in order to manage his injured knee, but with his recent hamstring injury, the former SRH Skipper will not play any part in the fourth and fifth T20 international games against Pakistan. With two home test series against South Africa and Australia coming up, Kane Williamson might choose to stay away from T20 cricket for the time being.
Black Caps head coach Gary Stead has confirmed that the hamstring injury that Williamson has suffered is on the same leg as the injured knee, and he also confirmed that the 33-year-old will miss the last two T20i’s against the Men in Green. “It’s the same leg where his knee injury occurred. He has returned to Tauranga. He’ll get a scan today.” Gary Stead told ESPNCricinfo.
“I don’t have any updates at this point in time regarding his injury, as we are still waiting for the scan reports to come. Will Young was going to join the team anyway for the later stages of the T20I series against Pakistan. Kane wasn’t going to play in the third T20i. I think it’s likely that Will will stay on, but until we don’t receive the scan results from Kane, then we can’t make a further decision,” Stead added.
“I think he (Kane Williamson) is unlikely to play any further part in the remaining matches against Pakistan. . With the Test matches so close as well and probably in the big scheme of things in the short term, we are giving higher priority to Test Cricket, and I believe we will try our best to make sure that Kane is ready for the upcoming Test Series against South Africa and Australia,” New Zealand’s head coach said.
Tim Seifert, who has not played in any match in the ongoing T20i series against Pakistan, is expected to replace Kane Williamson in the playing 11, and according to Kiwi Head Coach Gary Stead, Seifert will take the wicket, keeping gloves from Devon Conway. “It’s going to be a real challenge without Kane, who provides some much-needed balance and stability to our batting unit. But someone like Tim Seifert can get a chance to play, show what he is capable of, and probably fill the shoes of Kane for the remainder of the series,” Gary Stead said.
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