NZ vs BNG, ODI World Cup: New Zealand bowling coach optimistic of Williamson return in Bangladesh clash

The New Zealand skipper missed the first two ICC World Cup matches his side won against England and the Netherland after returning from an ACL knee injury.

New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson during a practice session ahead of ICC Men’s World Cup cricket match against Bangladesh, at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai on October 11, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI

New Zealand bowling coach Shane Jurgensen was pleased with skipper Kane Williamson’s progress ahead of the team’s match against Bangladesh on Friday.

Returning from an ACL knee injury, Williamson missed the first two ICC World Cup matches his side won against England and the Netherlands as he looked to build his match fitness.

On Wednesday, the 33-year-old batted for nearly an hour in the nets at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Williamson started by taking some throwdowns before a session against pacers Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, and James Neesham and then faced the spinners.

“He is coming along nicely and is taking full training today, and he keeps improving and progressing every day,” said Jurgensen. 

“So he is putting himself in a situation to be able to play, but we still got another day, and we are excited about that. But we need to see how he goes over in the next 24 hours, probably having another bat and a really good field tomorrow,” he added.

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“He is hitting the ball beautifully and has for a little while now. So, for him, in terms of skills (there is) no doubt. He has been a very good player for New Zealand for a long time. And those attributes he is showing again in the nets,” said the New Zealand bowling coach.

Williamson’s availability could give the two-time finalist a big boost ahead of challenging matches here against Bangladesh and Afghanistan, two sides with quality spinners in their ranks on a surface that aids the tweakers. 

Jurgensen knows a thing or two about Bangladesh, having been the Asian team’s head coach.

“Bangladesh has proven to be a challenging team in particular world tournaments. And we have had some tough games against them in the past in Bangladesh and New Zealand. So there is no doubt this will be a tough game for us. The progress of their seam attack to support their spinners has been something we have watched closely,” said the 47-year-old Australian.

“We knew these games were going to be a tough challenge. For us, an advantage is we have many players who have played in the IPL and for CSK. We had some good experiences playing in the subcontinent leading into the tournament. So I think we have given ourselves every opportunity to prepare the best we can,” he added.