It remains a long shot, but Kane Williamson isn’t shutting the door on playing at the Cricket World Cup.
“The focus is getting it right, getting it ready and down the line we'll address things much later on,” Williamson told 1News in his first interview since rupturing his ACL in the IPL more than three months ago.
The Black Caps limited overs captain has spent that time rehabilitating – currently that involves physio sessions six days a week which consists of all sorts of controlled movement exercise and time on the bike.
The World Cup in India begins in about three and a half months. Williamson says his rehab is on schedule, with today being the first day he’s been off crutches.
“Largely, yes [on schedule], there’s been some good progress and I’m putting in the time, but the steps are small and that’s what it’s about, taking those small steps forwards and minimising the backwards ones.”
New Zealand is likely to name its squad in August, meaning they would be taking a punt if they were to select Williamson.
In his favour is the length of the tournament – more than a month – which could give selectors an eye to naming him in the squad with the outside chance he would be available for the latter pool stages or the first knockout games, if New Zealand makes it that far.
“I haven’t thought too much about that," he said. "I don’t know what the rulings are around that from a squad perspective.
While his chances of playing in India remain slim, Williamson told Guy Heveldt he's doing all he can to fix his ruptured ACL. (Source: 1News)
“But the focus for me is getting it right regardless of the tournaments that are ahead. It’s within any athlete's want to return as quickly as possible but not compromise the effort that goes in to make sure it’s strong and ready.”
Speaking of athletes, Williamson, ever studious, has reached out to others who have gone through the same thing or are slightly ahead of where he is in his ACL recovery.
“Actually a couple of guys in the Sevens (All Blacks Sevens) team that are perhaps five or six weeks ahead of where I am, so a bit of that and a bit of Googling and watching the NBA Finals and going ‘this guy (had the same injury)’, so certainly the curiosity around it has heightened… I’m not the first and I won’t be the last, it’s a matter of working through the process.”
Despite his patience, 1News can reveal he has hit some cricket balls in “drop-drive” scenarios but is a way off being able to bat in the nets or against a proper bowler.
“That’s more out of a change of scenery and catching up with some mates,” Williamson said with a smile. “It’s just to tick along.”
Williamson knew something was wrong as soon as he landed awkwardly while trying to take a leaping boundary catch for the Gujarat Titans.
"I thought there must be some damage there, but at the same time pretty hopeful that maybe there wasn’t,” he says. “Then we had scans and it reveals what it did so that reality hit and that moment was sort of confronting and then the focus shifts.
"Your plans change in such big ways and then there’s something you have to deal with which is new territory for me in my career.
“At the same time you reflect about how long you’ve played the game and not [having] been too injured. I can turn on the telly and it seems like every time you turn it on the ACL is being talked about. ‘Okay’, you’re not the only one in the world.
"It’s fairly common in cricket and other sports. It’s about working on it and putting in the effort. When you see the results it’s motivating."
He may not win the race, but Kane Williamson is by no means giving up on being in India in October.
Watch the 1News bulletin at 6pm tonight for the full Kane Williamson story with Guy Heveldt.
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