What happened to Kane Williamson? NZ captain won't play vs England in second Test

The England vs New Zealand 2nd Test match is all set to take place on June 10 at the Edgbaston where both the teams will play the series decider. The 1st Test match between England and New Zealand ended in a draw due to which both the teams would be looking forward to winning the 2nd Test match to clinch the series. However, according to ENG vs NZ team news, captain Kane Williamson will miss the 2nd Test match and fans are already wondering, “What happened to Kane Williamson?”

What happened to Kane Williamson?

As confirmed by the NZC, Kane Williamson will miss the England vs New Zealand 2nd Test match due to his struggle with a left elbow injury. The decision to drop Williamson from the 2nd Test match was taken after considering the World Test Championship Final. Kane Williamson has struggled due to his left elbow injury for a long time and the New Zealand captain had to miss matches in the month of March for his recovery.

Kane Williamson injury update by New Zealand Head coach

New Zealand Head coach Gary Stead gave the Kane Williamson injury update ahead of the 2nd Test match on Thursday. Gary Stead said that it was not an easy decision for Williamson to miss a Test, but according to them, it was the right decision. Stead also informed that Williamson was given an injection in his elbow to relieve the irritation experienced by him while batting and a period of rest and rehabilitation will help maximize his recovery.

Preference given to Kane Williamson return in WTC Final 

Stead also informed that the decision to drop Williamson has been made very much with the ICC World Test Championship Final at Southampton in mind and they are confident that Kane Williamson will be ready for that match starting on June 18. Meanwhile, Tom Lathan will be the captain for the New Zealand Test team for the upcoming England vs New Zealand 2nd Test match. Will Young will be included in the starting XI and he will bat at number 3 in Williamson’s position.

New Zealand team update ahead of the 2nd Test match

As per the ENG vs NZ team news, the New Zealand team will not feature all of its fast bowler from the previous Test match going into the 2nd Test. Mitchell Santner will also miss the 2nd Test match due to a cut on his left index finger. Meanwhile, New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult is available for the 2nd Test match and will likely join the New Zealand playing XI. After concluding the ENG vs NZ Test series, New Zealand will face India in the inaugural World Test Championship Final at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton starting from June 18.

Image Source: AP