Kane Williamson racing against time to play in the ODI World Cup in India

“To be at the World Cup is always special. It’s still just guesswork at the moment in terms of when the day is or how it’s tracking at the time. Yeah, obviously slim, and still, you know, a tough goal. However, something like that (World Cup) in the back of your mind is obviously motivating and you want to keep seeing those improvements,” Williamson was quoted in a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

New Zealand finished runners-up in the previous two editions of the ODI World Cup in 2015 and 2019 respectively. Williamson was a critical part of both those setups, even leading the side to the summit clash in the latter. However, he is racing against time for the coming edition of the competition. The Kiwis will tour Bangladesh to play a three-match ODI series, which starts on September 21, merely a fortnight before the commencement of the World Cup. Williamson sees playing in that series as a distant shot though.

“It is a tricky one. It is a lot about the healing element as well. You can have the strength work, the movement, the confidence. But the actual healing is what has to happen and there are a lot of things to really assess before that time. So, that (Bangladesh) series, by all accounts, is too early,” he explained.