Williamson confident of being fit to lead New Zealand bid for glory
Kane Williamson anticipates being fit to lead New Zealand at the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup after playing down concerns over hamstring and elbow troubles.
The Black Caps are seeking a global double in 2021 after being crowned inaugural world Test champions earlier this year and among their key figures is captain Williamson, who has been battling niggling issues in recent months.
Managing his elbow, in particular, has led to him being briefly sidelined on a number of occasions this year and he admitted that he is still feeling lingering discomfort from gripping the bat and extending his arm. But he believes a period of rehabilitation following the World Test Championship final win over India in June means his elbow should not impinge on his availability over the next few weeks.
“The hamstring is minor, it’s progressing nicely, not too many concerns and we’ve still got plenty of time,” said Williamson, speaking to reporters with 11 days still to go before their Super 12 stage opener against Pakistan.
“The elbow has just been a bit of a slow-burner. It has been quite frustrating for a long period of time. However, it has definitely improved a bit over the last two months I’ve had after the World Test Championship. Hopefully in the next few days or so, I’m taking basically a full part in the training.”
Meanwhile, Australia whiteball captain Aaron Finch is confident fellow opening batter David Warner will find his
feet in the tournament following a lean patch that led to him being dropped by his Indian Premier League franchise.
Warner was sacked as Sunrisers Hyderabad captain earlier this year and did not play in their last five matches, having averaged 24.37 with a strikerate of 107.73 in this year’s edition of the IPL.
But Finch said: “Over the years we’ve seen when he’s got his back against the wall he’s a fighter. I’ve got no issues
with the preparation he’s had. He seems in great spirits, he’s come in here with a great attitude and that’s rubbing off on the boys straight away. He’s organising things behind the scenes, he’s doing everything that he loves to do, so I’ve got no issues that come game one he’ll be ready to go.”
Captain Andrew Balbirnie says Ireland must hit the ground running in order to avoid an early exit from the tournament. His side are back
at the top table for the first time in five years after they failed to qualify for the 50-over tournament in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic pushed back the T20 competition by an extra 12 months.
Ireland have warmed up for the World Cup by bouncing back from a 2-1 series defeat against the United Arab Emirates last week with strong victories against Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh.
“We are trying to get slow
starts out of our system,” said Balbirnie ahead of his side’s Group A opener against the Netherlands on Monday.
“We have had a good buildup and played some good games and we are getting to where we want to be for that first game. Hopefully, next week we will put in three really good performances and peak at the right time and if we do that we can be successful, but if we don’t, we will be on an early plane home.”