Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam expressed hope for the speedy recovery of his New Zealand counterpart Kane Williamson, who suffered an injury during the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Williamson’s knee injury during the ongoing IPL is a major setback for New Zealand, as his participation in the ODI World Cup later this year is in doubt.
Babar shared a picture of himself and the New Zealand captain hugging, tweeting, “Bounce back strong. Get well soon Kane Williamson.”
Bounce back stronger. Get well soon Kane Williamson pic.twitter.com/XSkMa70qXO
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) April 6, 2023
According to the New Zealand Cricket Board, Williamson will require surgery on his injured right knee after scans confirmed he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament while fielding for Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
“Standard rehabilitation timelines mean Williamson is now unlikely to be fit and available for selection in this year’s ICC ODI Cricket World Cup in India,” it said.
In a statement, Williamson acknowledged the support he has received since sustaining the injury and thanked both Gujarat Titans and New Zealand Cricket for it.
“Obviously it’s disappointing to have an injury like this but my focus is now on getting the surgery and starting my recovery,” he said.
“It will take some time, but I will do everything I can to get back on the field as soon as possible.” While the World Cup no longer seemed likely, Williamson vowed to support the team in any way he could.
Injury Update | Kane Williamson will require surgery on his injured right knee, after scans on Tuesday confirmed he’d ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while fielding for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. More at the link https://t.co/3VZV7AcnL2 pic.twitter.com/tN0e7X8tme
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) April 5, 2023
The New Zealand captain is likely to undergo knee surgery in the next three weeks. Williamson sprained his knee while trying to take a catch in the opening game of the IPL last Friday, and was ruled out with the help of two physios.
New Zealand players are one of the leading batsmen in cricket. He played a key role as they made it to the finals of the 2019 World Cup, where Williamson was named the player of the tournament.
New Zealand fell agonizingly short – losing to England on boundary countback in a nail-biting Super Over after being drawn in the final.
Williamson stepped down as New Zealand’s Test captain in December but still captains the ODI and T20I squads.
