Will Kane Williamson be added to New Zealand's WC squad? NZ Coach gives injury update

New Zealand is set to face its arch-rivals, England, in a bilateral series that starts on August 30, 2023. The series will act as preparation for both teams ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India. The major tournament will start on October 5, 2023, with the tournament opening match between the Black Caps and Three Lions.

3 things you need to know

• England beat New Zealand in the final of the ICC ODI World Cup 2019
• Both teams have yet to announce their squad lists for the World Cup 2023 
• Kane Williamson was the Player of the Tournament in the ICC ODI World Cup 2019

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Will Kane Williamson play in the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup for New Zealand?

The head coach of the New Zealand cricket team, Gary Stead, has revealed that Kane Williamson has a two-week window to prove that he's healthy and can give 100% on the field while taking on the Black Caps jersey in the World Cup. Following this phase, the Black Caps will finalize their team for the forthcoming ODI World Cup in 2023.

New Zealand has reached the finals in the previous two tournaments in a row, but their quest for a first global crown continues, as they lost to Australia in 2015 and lost the final of the 2019 World Cup to England. The buildup to the next tournament has been less than ideal, beginning with Kane Williamson's injury during the first match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). Williamson was injured while trying to prevent a boundary and had to be helped off the pitch, therefore ending his participation in the franchise league.

Also Read: Matthew Hayden picks India's 15-member squad for World Cup, makes shocking exclusions

Gary Stead admitted that Kane Williamson's healing process is still ongoing. Prior to their bilateral series in England, he told journalists about the possibilities of his return:

We’ve got about two weeks from now until we name that side. Nothing’s changed at the moment, we’re going to give him every chance and use that full amount of time.

He’s in full rehab mode, he’s back batting in the nets again which is great to see. He’s progressing really well, but again there’s a lot of work for him still to do to make sure he gets to where we need him to be. So we’re going to give him the full two weeks to prove where he's at and for us it’s still a little bit of crystal ball-gazing, where he will be at.

Will Kane Williamson travel with New Zealand for the bilateral series against England?

Kane Williamson has traveled to England with the New Zealand team for the white-ball tour in order to speed up his recovery. Starting on August 30, the schedule consists of four One Day Internationals (ODIs) and four Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).