Auckland, Aug 29: New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has two weeks to showcase that he is fully fit to lead the Kiwis in the ICC ODI World Cup. Williamson was deemed to be an unlikely participant in this year’s World Cup when he ended up hurting his knee while fielding during the opening match of the Indian Premier League 2023 in March. But since then the 33-year-old has shown promise and recently made strong progress hoping to lead his country into battle at the 50-over showcase. The right-handed batter who has amassed 6,555 runs in the ODI format is pushing through gears, to make his place in the 15-player squad for the six-week tournament that commences in India on October 5. Teams have to provide the ICC with a preliminary squad until September 5 and the final lists then need to be lodged prior to the September 28 cut-off date. Changes in the squad can only be made after his date with approval from the ICC. New Zealand coach Gary Stead spoke about the progress Williamson has been making over the weeks but he still has a couple of things to get done before he can be considered for selection. “(We have) got about two weeks from now until we name that side. (We are) going to give him every chance and use that full amount of time. He’s in full rehab mode, he’s back batting in the nets again which is great to see. He’s progressing really well but again there’s a lot of work for him still to do to make sure he gets to where we need him to be,” Stead said as quoted by ICC.WC: Williamson has two weeks to prove his fitness
Auckland, Aug 29: New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has two weeks to showcase that he is fully fit to lead the Kiwis in the ICC ODI World Cup. Williamson was deemed to be an unlikely participant in this year’s World Cup when he ended up hurting his knee while fielding during the opening match of the Indian Premier League 2023 in March. But since then the 33-year-old has shown promise and recently made strong progress hoping to lead his country into battle at the 50-over showcase. The right-handed batter who has amassed 6,555 runs in the ODI format is pushing through gears, to make his place in the 15-player squad for the six-week tournament that commences in India on October 5. Teams have to provide the ICC with a preliminary squad until September 5 and the final lists then need to be lodged prior to the September 28 cut-off date. Changes in the squad can only be made after his date with approval from the ICC. New Zealand coach Gary Stead spoke about the progress Williamson has been making over the weeks but he still has a couple of things to get done before he can be considered for selection. “(We have) got about two weeks from now until we name that side. (We are) going to give him every chance and use that full amount of time. He’s in full rehab mode, he’s back batting in the nets again which is great to see. He’s progressing really well but again there’s a lot of work for him still to do to make sure he gets to where we need him to be,” Stead said as quoted by ICC.