Cricket: Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson likely to miss rest of Pakistan Twenty20 series with hamstring injury, says coach Gary Stead

Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson will likely miss the final three matches of the Twenty20 International series against Pakistan, coach Gary Stead says.  

Williamson, 33, retired hurt in New Zealand's 21-run win at Hamilton's Seddon Park on Sunday night after suffering a hamstring injury while batting.  

The white-ball skipper was already slated to miss game three of the five match series, in order to avoid travelling to Dunedin as part of managing his injured knee after an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) rupture in April 2023.  

Will Young was already due to join the Blackcaps for game three, but will now stay with the squad for the rest of the series.

As the rest of the squad headed to Dunedin, Williamson has returned to his home in Tauranga, and will have a scan to determine how serious his injury is.  

But with the Blackcaps to face both South Africa and Australia this summer as part of the World Test Championship, and a T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA in June, Stead said Williamson will likely look to concentrate on what's to come, ahead of facing Pakistan.  

"I think it's unlikely he will play," said Stead. "With the test matches so close as well, and probably in the big scheme of things in the short term for us, there's higher priorities.  

"I think it's likely we'll try and make sure he's right for that."  

The hamstring worry is just the latest for Williamson, who spent nearly all of 2023 on the sidelines with his knee injury.  

Despite an expected recovery of more than nine months, Williamson returned before that mark to play at last year's Cricket World Cup.  

Stead has already made it clear Williamson's knee will need to be managed, with this latest concern on his hamstring occurring in the same leg.  

However, the Blackcaps' captains standards don't appear to have fallen.  

"The knee injury was clearly a really serious thing," he continued. "It can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months to come completely right.  

"He's done remarkably well so far to get back and do what he has done. The amazing thing is how well he's come in and performed as well.

"Kane is a prodigious trainer in the nets, loves to hit balls and work on his game.  

"By his standards, he hasn't quite done as much as he'd like, but he's still showing the results, which is amazing in itself."  

The Blackcaps face Pakistan in game three of the five match series on Wednesday, before games four and five in Christchurch on Friday and Sunday.   

Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson will likely miss the final three matches of the Twenty20 International series against Pakistan, coach Gary Stead says.  

Williamson, 33, retired hurt in New Zealand's 21-run win at Hamilton's Seddon Park on Sunday night after suffering a hamstring injury while batting.  

The white-ball skipper was already slated to miss game three of the five match series, in order to avoid travelling to Dunedin as part of managing his injured knee after an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) rupture in April 2023.  

Will Young was already due to join the Blackcaps for game three, but will now stay with the squad for the rest of the series.

As the rest of the squad headed to Dunedin, Williamson has returned to his home in Tauranga, and will have a scan to determine how serious his injury is.  

But with the Blackcaps to face both South Africa and Australia this summer as part of the World Test Championship, and a T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA in June, Stead said Williamson will likely look to concentrate on what's to come, ahead of facing Pakistan.  

"I think it's unlikely he will play," said Stead. "With the test matches so close as well, and probably in the big scheme of things in the short term for us, there's higher priorities.  

"I think it's likely we'll try and make sure he's right for that."  

The hamstring worry is just the latest for Williamson, who spent nearly all of 2023 on the sidelines with his knee injury.  

Despite an expected recovery of more than nine months, Williamson returned before that mark to play at last year's Cricket World Cup.  

Stead has already made it clear Williamson's knee will need to be managed, with this latest concern on his hamstring occurring in the same leg.  

However, the Blackcaps' captains standards don't appear to have fallen.  

"The knee injury was clearly a really serious thing," he continued. "It can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months to come completely right.  

"He's done remarkably well so far to get back and do what he has done. The amazing thing is how well he's come in and performed as well.

"Kane is a prodigious trainer in the nets, loves to hit balls and work on his game.  

"By his standards, he hasn't quite done as much as he'd like, but he's still showing the results, which is amazing in itself."  

The Blackcaps face Pakistan in game three of the five match series on Wednesday, before games four and five in Christchurch on Friday and Sunday.   

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