New Zealand's captain, Kane Williamson, will be absent from their upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 match against South Africa as he has not fully recovered from a thumb injury.
Williamson sustained the thumb injury during a match against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The New Zealand medical team has determined that he is not yet fit to play.
New Zealand Cricket provided an update on Williamson's injury, stating, "Kane Williamson has been ruled out of Wednesday's match against @ProteasMenCSA. Williamson has batted in the nets the last two days but has been ruled out of a return to match action tomorrow. He will be assessed again ahead of the side's next match against @TheRealPCB."
In Williamson's absence, wicketkeeper-batter Tom Latham will continue to lead the New Zealand team in the multi-nation tournament.
Prior to this injury, Williamson had returned to action after recovering from a hip injury he sustained while playing for the Gujarat Titans in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In his first competitive match back, he scored an unbeaten 78 off 107 balls against Bangladesh before leaving the field 'retired hurt.'
(With Agency Inputs)
