In what came as heartbreaking news for New Zealand cricket and its fans, the country's white-ball captain Kane Williamson will most likely miss the 2023 ODI World Cup in India after scans confirmed that the maverick batter ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match. An ACL injury requires a ton of time for rehabilitation and with the ICC quadrennial tournament scheduled to be played in October-November later in the year, the six months remaining wouldn't be enough for Williamson to recover from his injury.
"I look forward to doing what I can to support (New Zealand coach) Gary (Stead) and the team over the next few months," Williamson said in a New Zealand Cricket statement.
"Naturally it's disappointing to get such an injury, but my focus now is on having the surgery and starting rehab.
"It's going to take some time, but I'll be doing everything I can to get back on the field as soon as possible," he added.
In Williamson's absence, Tom Latham is the frontrunner to lead the Black Caps in the ODI World Cup. Having said that, replacing Williamson, both as the captain and a batter, will be an impossible task for the Men in Black. The right-handed batter has so far scored 6,554 runs in 161 ODIs at an average of 47.83. He also has 42 half-centuries and 13 tons to his name.
New Zealand coach Stead also underlined the importance of Williamson's presence in the national squad and affirmed that the star batter's injury comes as a body blow for the Black Caps.
"You take Kane the player for a start, but then Kane the leader and the person he is within our group as well, it's a huge spanner in the works for us," Stead said.
"We haven't given up hope that he might be right but at this stage it does look unlikely. Our first thoughts are with Kane at the moment, it's a tough time for him, it's not an injury you expect…it hits you pretty hard," he added.
Meanwhile, Willamson suffered the injury during IPL 2023 opening game between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. Williamson jumped in the air and caught hold of the ball while fielding at deep mid-wicket. As he was bound to go over the boundary, he flicked the ball back into the option before it touch the boundary ropes. Williamson landed on his right knee and immediately collapsed on the ground. He held his right knee and got medical attention as GT physio rushed to their overseas recruit’s aid.
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