Skipper back in camp
Kane Williamson is on baby watch for the arrival of his first-born but there’s a test, too
Black Caps coach Gary Stead is confident Kane Williamson will be available for the second test against West Indies after his captain missed training in order to be with his pregnant wife.
Williamson revealed that he and his wife Sarah Raheem were expecting their first child and that the due date was mid-to-late December.
Williamson had travelled home to Tauranga to attend a midwife appointment and backup batsman Devon Conway had been drafted into the squad as cover.
However, the Black Caps announced Williamson was to return to rejoin the test squad in Wellington, calming fears that the world’s No 2 ranked batsman would be missing from the second test, starting today.
While yesterday’s training session was not a crucial one — it was optional and indoors because of rain in Wellington — the potential loss of Williamson would’ve been a big blow.
He scored 251, his third double century in test cricket, as part of a winning performance in the first match of the West Indies series.
Despite the potential disruption caused by his absence, Stead said a contingency plan was in place for a milestone event in Williamson’s life.
“Worst case scenario, Kane misses some matches,” Stead told media on Monday. “As a dad, as a parent, you only get that opportunity once in your life to be there for your (first) child’s birth and I know that it’s important for Kane too.
“At the end of the day we play cricket and other things are much more important.”
“It’s a very exciting time in anybody’s life and it certainly is in mine,” said Williamson of impending fatherhood.
Should Williamson miss time, Stead has indicated that Will Young, who made his test debut last week, was the “natural replacement” for the skipper.
Meanwhile, the Black Caps received more good news in the form of the full recovery of BJ Watling from a hamstring injury.
Tom Blundell will open the batting order with Tom Latham and l Young will drop out of the starting XI — barring Williamson’s absence. A decision on which all-rounder — Daryl Mitchell or Mitchell Santner — will make the starting team will be made this morning.
The second test is scheduled to begin at 11am at the Basin Reserve where rain was forecast to clear for the full five days of play.