Kane Williamson had to sit out after he tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the second Test and had to isolate himself for five days. New Zealand lost the second Test as well as the ongoing series 0-2 against England.
New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult said that his captain Kane Williamson was disappointed to miss out on the second Test against England in Nottingham.
Kane Williamson Is A Big Player For New Zealand And Was Disappointed To Miss The 2nd Test: Trent Boult
Kane Williamson wasn’t able to add to his own tally in Nottingham having been ruled out when he caught Covid-19 prior to the second test. He currently has 24 tons to his name and hasn’t reached triple figures since notching a sublime 238 against Pakistan in Christchurch last January.
The 31-year-old only managed 17 runs across two innings in the first Test at Lord’s as he looks to rediscover his touch following a long spell on the sidelines. He has fallen two spots to fifth in the latest Test rankings.
In IPL 2022 too, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson could only score 216 runs in 13 games at an average of 19.63 and a strike rate of 93.5, the lowest for any opener in an IPL season and the fourth-lowest for any batter ever (min of 150 balls faced).
“He (Williamson) is a big player for us. His record speaks for itself,” Boult was quoted as saying.
“He’s always hungry to get in the nets. He was disappointed to have to sit out the last game. It was a big game for us. He’s hungry to get out there to lead the side and desperate to get some runs.”
Kane Williamson has been struggling to get among the runs, a phase that impacted his IPL 2022 performance earlier in May. Apart from Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Michael Bracewell, physio Vijay Vallabh and strength and conditioning specialist Chris Donaldson had also tested positive for Covid-19 at different stages of the series.
Trent Boult Hopeful Of New Zealand Doing Well In The 3rd Test
Trent Boult, however, has confirmed that “everyone’s healthy and available for selection”.
“It looks like another good wicket, so we’ll see what happens. I know the boys are looking forward to the challenge. There have been some good chats going on off the ground. Hopefully, we can let the bat do the talking and we’ll go from there.”
Hosts England and visitors New Zealand will meet for the third and final Test match, which begins on June 23, at Headingley, Leeds. Back-up wicketkeeper-bat Dane Cleaver has linked up with the New Zealand Test squad ahead of the third and final Test against hosts England next week.
Dane Cleaver comes in after receiving his maiden call-up as an injury replacement for keeper Cam Fletcher. Besides Cam Fletcher, fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has flown back home following a back injury.
New Zealand has announced the squad for the upcoming three series against Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands. New Zealand’s crucial players like Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Tim Southee, and Trent Boult have been given rest for the series and are not part of the squad.