NZ vs BAN: Kane Williamson Could Return To Action Against Bangladesh, Says Coach Gary Stead

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has delivered a promising update on captain Kane Williamson and veteran pacer Tim Southee. The Black Caps have started their World Cup campaign without both the senior players.

In the tournament opener, New Zealand thrashed reigning champions England by 9 wickets while chasing 283 runs. In their second game, they thrashed the Netherlands by 99 runs. In Kane Williamson’s absence, wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham led the side in both the games.

They will be in action next on Friday (October 13) when they lock horns against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. And the in-form team could be boosted by the return of their talismanic captain Kane Williamson as well as their most experienced pacer Tim Southee.

Kane Williamson has not played a competitive match since suffering an ACL tear in the IPL earlier in the year. He did bat against Pakistan and South Africa in the warm-up game but was not ready to play a full game. On the other hand, Southee had dislocated his thumb during an ODI against England on September 15 and had to undergo surgery.

Gary Stead’s update on Kane Williamson and Tim Southee:

Speaking ahead of the game against Bangladesh, Stead said that Kane Williamson is “looking good” to make a comeback from injury in the forthcoming game. He also confirmed the availability of Southee for New Zealand’s third game of the competition.

“He’s been progressing very very well. He’s had a great last five or six days, really went about the fielding aspect of things,” Stead said. “That’s the key thing for Kane at the moment. It’s not about his injury so much now, it’s his ability to run between the wickets and to field and to consistently do that over a 50-over game. We’re delighted with where he’s at.

“We’ve got two more trainings still to get through but at this stage all things are looing good for Kane to return in this game. But we still say that with an air of caution but we’re really pleased with the way he has been coming on,” he added.

The return of Kane Williamson will force New Zealand to make a change to their winning combination. In his absence, Rachin Ravindra batted at number three and scored a century and a fifty in the first two games. When asked about the player who could make way for the New Zealand captain, Stead said:

“If Kane is available, he will play. There is no doubt about that. He is one of the best players in the world. The discussions we are having at the moment is like how does that still fit?

“For example, we played Jimmy Neesham in the first game but not the second. That was around the conditions we thought best suited the team at the time. That’s the ongoing discussion we have around every single game and also looking at the opposition and who we feel gives us the right balance in each situation,” he added.

Talking about Southee, the New Zealand coach said: “Tim will be available for selection, he’s been tracking well. Looks like the thumb has set very very well. He has been bowling at full intensity for the last couple of training sessions so he is certainly available for selection.”