‘You have some good days, and then you have few variable ones’ - Kane Williamson opens up about life on the rehab lane

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson expressed that he is cautious but optimistic about his chances of making it to the 2023 ODI World Cup in October in India. Notably, Williamson underwent surgery after sustaining a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during the first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

Since then, the skipper has been confined to the sidelines, and there were speculations if he would make it in time for the World Cup, which is slated to be played in India. Williamson is currently on his road to recovery; however, he is not rushing the process and instead ticking off the small milestones in the rehab.

"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. 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,” Williamson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

"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,” he added.

The New Zealand white-ball captain has begun throwdowns in the net sessions and is hopeful of taking on the bowlers in the coming weeks.

"Yeah, still, throws and things, working through some of those positions. I never really had to break it down so much ever in terms of some of the spin work, the variation and links, all these sorts of things that you never thought too much about," he said.

"Now, you're really trying to exaggerate some of the movements and get them better prepared for the higher intensity stuff. But you know, it is progressing nicely, and hopefully not too far away, really from both,” concluded Williamson.

Williamson will link up with the national team during the series against England, scheduled to begin on August 30 and will continue his rehab there. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s World Cup campaign begins on October 5 as they square off against England at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.