New Zealand are set to be without the services of Kane Williamson for this year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup after the veteran batter was forced to undergo surgery on his knee.
Williamson ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while fielding for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, scans revealed on Tuesday.
It means that Williamson is in a race against time to prove his fitness ahead of the tournament, with a six-month rehabilitation time the standard length for the injury.
Williamson acknowledged the support from both his IPL team and New Zealand Cricket, though vowed he would do his utmost to play a part in India come October.
“I’ve received great support over the past few days and want to thank both the Gujarat Titans and New Zealand Cricket for that,” Williamson said.
“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.”
New Zealand confirmed Williamson will go under the knife within the next three weeks, though if the white-ball skipper was to miss out, the 32-year-old leaves a hole in a team desperate to go one better than their 2019 Cricket World Cup heartbreak.
The right-hander has compiled more than 6000 ODI runs at an average of 47.83 since his debut in the format back in 2010, leading the side in their 2019 run.
New Zealand stand atop of the Cricket World Cup Super League with 175 points in 24 games, and secured their spot for the tournament proper thanks to a guaranteed top-eight finish in the competition. (ICC)