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'Waah kya news hain'- Fans react as New Zealand head coach hints on Kane Williamson's ODI World Cup return

Gary Stead said on Monday that they have given two weeks time for captain Kane Williamson to prove his fitness for the Cricket World Cup 2023

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Rohit Kumar
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Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson (Source- Twitter)

New Zealand's head coach Gary Stead said on Monday that they have given two weeks time for their white-ball captain Kane Williamson to prove his fitness for the Cricket World Cup 2023 which is just less than two months away. But conceded the Black Caps captain still had a long way to go.

Williamson tore his ACL during the opener against Chennai Super Kings on March 31. He was previously in doubt for the 50-overs World Cup in India. But the 33-year-old has not fully back in his fitness, but is recovering well and is batting in the nets, with a place in New Zealand’s 15-man squad now in sight.

He may not be available right at the start of the tournament: Gary Stead

Stead told New Zealand media, "We’ve got about two weeks from now until we name that side. We’re going to give him every chance to use that full amount of time. he is in full rehab mode, he is back batting in the nets again, which is great to see. He’s progressing really well, but there’s a lot of work for him still to do to make sure he gets where we need him to be."

The head coach further added, "There's a chance that even if Kane was named he may not be available right at the start of the tournament, but he also might be, and he also might not be ready," "Of course, we want him at the World Cup, but there is that bigger picture that we want Kane Williamson fit for the rest of his career." There will be honest conversations that Kane and I will have around exactly where he is at."

The veteran Kiwi batter has scored more than 6,500 runs in ODIs and led New Zealand in its nail-biting defeat to England in the 2019 World Cup final. He was also the player of the tournament in the previous World Cup. The Kiwis will travel to England for four T20Is and as many ODIs, starting August 30. Both these teams will face off in the World Cup 2023 opener on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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