The right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson was torn on Thursday, the team reported. Williamson sustained the injury last Friday while playing fielding for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. He has already returned to New Zealand. Scans performed on Tuesday revealed the severity of the injury and the need for surgery, making it very unlikely that he will be able to play in the 50-overs World Cup in India this fall.
Williamson said in a statement that although he is saddened by the injury, for now his top priorities are surgery and recovery. The operation is scheduled for later this month, and he will make every effort to return to the field as soon as possible thereafter.
Williamson’s batting prowess was a major reason why New Zealand reached the final of the 2015 World Cup in Australia and the final of the 2019 World Cup, when they were defeated by England in a nail-biting Super Over. Williamson may no longer be the test captain, but he is still in charge of the shorter formats. Obviously, losing their skipper and greatest batter is a huge blow to the Black Caps, but coach Gary Stead hasn’t written him out just yet.
Williamson’s injury, according to Stead, came as a complete surprise. He stated that they are still holding out hope that Williamson can participate despite the odds being against it. No official date has been set for the start of the World Cup, although major cricketing countries often begin their campaigns before the end of October.
Despite his inability to join in, Williamson promised to be there for Stead and the squad in the following months.
