Kane Williamson remains determined to contribute to New Zealand's World Cup campaign in the 50-over format, despite his ongoing recovery from a right knee injury. The Kiwi batsman, who suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while fielding for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, had surgery in early April.
While acknowledging his progress, Williamson emphasized that his primary focus was on allowing his knee to heal completely. He expressed his unwavering commitment to ensuring the proper mending of his knee, prioritizing its recovery over a swift return to the cricket field.
His ultimate goal is to be fit and ready for the World Cup, scheduled to take place in India between October and November.
"Very much just trying to keep it week-to-week at the moment," he said on Monday.
"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.
"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."
(AI image)
Thanks to Williamson's exceptional batting skills, New Zealand reached the finals of both the 2015 World Cup held in Australia and the 2019 edition, where they were at the wrong end of a thrilling Super Over finish against the host nation, England.
The 32-year-old Williamson acknowledged that his current training regime was relatively basic. Nonetheless, he eagerly anticipated the opportunity to return to the practice nets, where he could resume training.
"Probably more for sanity and changing things up ... just nice to mix up all the gym work and the physio work and rehab specific stuff to spend a bit of time with some of the other guys that are training," he said.
"Super keen to get back in the nets, for sure."
(With agency inputs)
