New Zealand’s Kane Williamson says making it to the ODI World Cup 2023 in India remains a ‘tough’ goal

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has admitted that making it to the ODI World Cup 2023 in India remains a tough goal but is happy to keep checking off small milestones along the way as he continues his recovery from injury.

Williamson suffered a significant setback while fielding for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 opener, as he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee on March 31, 2023.

Despite the severity of the injury, Williamson has shown remarkable resilience and determination in his recovery process. He underwent surgery in April 2023 and has since been working diligently on his rehabilitation. By August 1, 2023, he had already begun batting again, facing throwdowns in the nets as part of his ongoing recovery. However, he acknowledged that there was still a considerable amount of work to do before he could return to international cricket.

Williamson’s recovery has been closely monitored by New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead, and the team management. They have remained optimistic about his progress, even considering the possibility of his participation in the ODI World Cup in India, scheduled for October-November 2023. Despite the likelihood of him missing the first few fixtures, they have not ruled out his inclusion in the squad.

Throughout his recovery, Williamson has maintained a week-to-week approach, focusing on achieving small milestones rather than looking too far ahead as he spoke to reporters.

“To be at the World Cup is always special. It’s still just guesswork at the moment in terms of when the day is or how it’s tracking at the time,” said Williamson, as quoted by Cricinfo.

“There’s a lot of work to do. I am just really following the program, with the professionals for physio, the support staff and New Zealand cricket. And it’s tough, because you do have some good days, and then you have a few variable ones.

“However, something like that [World Cup] in the back of your mind is obviously motivating and you want to keep seeing those improvements.”