New Zealand head coach Gary Stead is hopeful that Kane Williamson will recover in time for the first Test against South Africa on February 4 at Mount Maunganui. The 33-year-old played only two T20Is in the recently-concluded series against Pakistan before being sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Kane Williamson suffered an injury during the second T20I against Pakistan and retired out at 26 runs off 15 deliveries after injuring his hamstring in the first innings. The right-handed batter suffered a significant knee injury in March 2023 and has been managing the problem ever since his return to the team during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
Speaking to the media, Gary Steady expressed confidence that Kane Williamson will be fully fit for the first test against South Africa on home soil, revealing that it was a cautious decision not to play him in the final three T20Is against Pakistan and that he wants to give him a genuine chance to make into the test series.
“I’m confident he will be alright. He’s probably got another day or two before he starts back into training and it was a minor niggle, which is a good thing. So, we didn’t want to aggravate it and didn’t see the point of aggravating it with the important series that are ahead. He’s obviously a key player and we know that and we want to make sure we’ve given him every chance of being available,” Gary Stead said.
Kane Williamson made a quick recovery from a possibly career-ending knee injury in just six months to captain the Blackcaps in the marquee event. He guided the Black Caps to the ODI World Cup semifinals despite suffering a broken thumb in his first match back. Kane Williamson has been in fantastic form in the Test format, recently scoring his 29th Test century, equaling Virat Kohli’s record.
Trent Boult Could Be Available But I’m Not 100% Sure – Gary Stead
Gary Stead hinted that Trent Boult may be considered for the three-match T20I series at home against Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean. However, Stead does not expect the left-arm pacer to return for the Tests against South Africa, particularly given his lack of recent first-class experience.
“I was texting with him last [Saturday] night actually, Trent and I are going to have a conversation this week just around the future and what that looks like for him and where it fits for us as well. We’re still to have those, but we will connect this week and will work out. He could be available but I’m not 100% sure”.
“Again I will have a conversation with Trent but at the moment, I think probably not. It’s very hard to see how you come from a T20 diet back into Test consideration with no cricket before that,” Gary Stead added.
Trent Boult is presently playing for MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20 tournament, having previously played for Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10 competition. The ILT20 concludes on February 17 in Dubai, and New Zealand will play Australia in the first T20I in Wellington on February 21 and could be key to the team’s success in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
