New Zealand vs Pakistan: Injured Kane Williamson likely to miss remainder of T20I series

Kane Williamson continues to struggle with his fitness with the New Zealand batting star likely ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series against Pakistan. Williamson had injured his hamstring in the second T20I in Hamilton and was set to sit out of the third match in Dunedin anyway.

But with the two-Test series against South Africa approaching, Black Caps coach Gary Stead said the team doesn’t want to take a chance with his fitness and that he’ll likely miss the remaining matches as well.

“With the Test matches so close as well and in the big scheme of things (they are) a higher priority I think we’ll try and make sure he’s right for that,” Stead said on Monday.

Williamson had struck a 42-ball 57 in the series opener in Auckland and was batting on 26 off 15 deliveries before having to retire hurt due to the injury. The Black Caps, meanwhile, would end up winning both games, by 46 and 21 runs respectively, to go 2-0 up in the five-match series, and will be eyeing a series-clinching win at the University Oval where the two sides meet next on Wednesday.

Tim Seifert, who was tipped to take over the wicketkeeping duty from Devon Conway at some point in the series, is expected to replace Williamson in the lineup.

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Williamson has been having a torrid time managing his fitness since suffering a knee injury in the opening match of last year’s Indian Premier League between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.

Williamson picked up the injury while attempting to save a six, and would not return to action until the ICC World Cup much later, where he would pick up a different injury after recovering from one.

During the group match against Bangladesh in what was his first international appearance since hurting his knee, Williamson would get struck on the thumb that would force him to miss a sizeable chunk of the Black Caps’ World Cup campaign.

Despite playing just four matches in the mega event, in which the Black Caps bowed out with a semi-final defeat against hosts India after back-to-back runner-up finishes in previous editions, Williamson managed to collect 256 runs in four outings at an average of 85.33.