New Zealand’s Kane Williamson admitted that his availability in the World Cup is still looming under cloud as the latter has not recovered from a knee injury.
Williamson had suffered the injury while playing for Gujarat Titans in the opening match of the IPL 2023 against Chennai Super Kings at Ahmedabad.
"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," Williamson was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
"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," he added.
The 33-year-old batsman will join the New Zealand squad in England and will continue his rehab with his teammates.
"There's been some nice little progressions and working through some of those little milestones and return to the running phase, which I am in at the moment. It is obviously a bit of a slow journey," he added.
"It has been nice to get back on the feet a little bit more and sort of get more into the net sessions and get slightly more involved as well. [There is] definitely more movement. I suppose that's almost the name of the game…let's get the strength and the movement to improve throughout. It is obviously a bit of a slow journey, as a number of others are experiencing."
Williamson said he was "really looking forward" to joining the squad in England, where New Zealand will play two T20 warm-ups on August 25 and 27, before the T20Is from August 30 to September 5 followed by the ODIs from September 8 to 15.
"The team hasn't spent that much time together anyway, but obviously being off the grid a little bit, it's nice to be hitting over there and connecting with the group.
One of the last tours that one and the Bangladesh one before obviously the World Cup, so it will be nice to spend some time with the team and do a bit of training and rehab with the group as well," he said.