It's nice to see Kane Williamson with bat in hand and hitting balls again but he is yet to hit optimum fitness, says Gary Stead

New Zealand's white-ball skipper, Kane Williamson finds himself back in the practice nets, striking balls and continuing his recovery following surgery for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.

However, the head coach of the New Zealand cricket team, Gary Stead cautions that his batting and fitness have not yet reached the level required for international performance. In a video released by Cricket New Zealand, Williamson expressed his excitement about the New Zealand men's team training camp at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. He said,

"Great to see some of the guys and some of the new faces too. Looking forward to the team camp. Nice to have it here at home as well in the Mount [Maunganui], and get into some training and to just reconnect a little bit."

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While he is not yet ready for full-fledged action, New Zealand is preparing for upcoming fixtures against UAE and England. Williamson is focused on regaining his form and aiming for a return to the game. He said,

"Nice to be on the bike, do fitness sessions on the bike, and progressing from the lower level, stuff that's really, really controlled, to getting better with my movements and be able to incorporate some of the batting aspects, you know, when you move your feet a little bit more. Yes, still a bit of work to do, so keep working hard, really."

Williamson is not right at the level that he is to perform internationally: New Zealand Coach

"It's nice to see him with a bat in his hand and hitting the balls again, albeit it's not right at the level that he is to perform internationally," commented Stead, New Zealand's head coach.

The Kiwi star had to be carried off the field during the IPL match and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament, and there were doubts about his availability for the 2023 ODI World Cup.

In April, Williamson underwent surgery in New Zealand, and reports suggested that he might still travel with the team as a mentor if he couldn't play in the World Cup in October-November.

However, in June, news emerged that Williamson hadn't given up on being a player in the World Cup. There remains an outside chance that he would recover in time for the tournament, which kicks off with New Zealand facing England in Ahmedabad on October 5.