In a comforting update, head coach Gary Stead of New Zealand stated that he is certain captain Kane Williamson would recuperate in time for the first Test match against South Africa on February 4 in Mount Maunganui.
Kane Williamson is anticipated to recover in time for the forthcoming series, having suffered a setback due to a hamstring injury after playing in just two Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan.
Stead also maintained optimism on the availability of batsman-wicketkeeper Tom Blundell for the opening Test match. Blundell is expected to return for Wellington Firebirds in the Super Smash knockout stages, having recovered from a lower-body injury since his last outing in the Napier ODI in December. The Kiwis are encouraged by Stead’s optimistic approach as they get ready to play the Proteas.
“I have no doubt that he will be OK. It was a small ache, so that’s fantastic news. He probably has one or two more days before he resumes training. Therefore, we didn’t want to irritate it more and didn’t see the need to do so with the significant upcoming series. We want to make sure we’ve given him every opportunity to be available because we recognize his importance as a crucial player.”
“We’re talking about this again right now: what are our choices if Tom is mistaken? Should it be a one-time test, should you keep it the same or alter the skin slightly while maintaining the same squad? Although we have other possibilities, those men are the most important and at the top of our list,” he continued.
Trent Boult’s prospects of harvesting red cherries soon are slim.
Before the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, New Zealand plays Australia in a three-match T20I series. Gary Stead hinted that Trent Boult would be included in the team. He did, however, rule out Trent Boult comeback for the Test match against South Africa, pointing as a major contributing reason to the player’s lack of recent first-class experience. While Stead assessed the factors for the forthcoming series, the left-arm quick appeared to be more focused on the T20 format, casting doubt on his Test return.
Actually, yesterday night [Saturday], I was texting him. This week, Trent and I are going to talk about the future—what that means for him, and where it fits in for both of us. We will connect this week and work out, but they are still on the agenda. I am not sure if he is available, but he might be. Once more, I will speak with Trent; but, at this time, I doubt it. It’s quite difficult to see how someone who has never played cricket before can go from a T20 diet back into Test consideration,” he said.
India
