The Hypothetical Conundrum
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We’re an optimistic bunch, aren’t we? There are still 100 days to go until the start of the Cricket World Cup so there’s a lot of water to flow under the bridge, but we all love a whimsical, totally hypothetical conundrum.
The Argument For
It’s Kane Williamson.
He’s New Zealand’s most experienced batter.
Possibly more importantly, he’s New Zealand’s most experienced batter in Indian conditions.
It’s Kane Williamson
The Argument Against.
How many athletes make a full recovery from an ACL injury within 6 months?
It would have the possibility of becoming a real distraction for the squad in those early matches. Successful New Zealand campaigns have all had a settled batting order.
He is returning from an injury that has a notoriously tricky and lengthy rehab process. It would be extremely unlikely to guarantee a fixture that he would start playing again. It’s not like, for example, serving a suspension for n number of games.
When he does return, he is unlikely to hit the ground running in terms of match fitness or form. There would be a real danger of running out of runway before that clicked into place.
With Australia and South Africa making incoming test tours early next year you would not want to risk Williamson’s fitness for those. Or indeed his long-term fitness.
Be careful what you wish for.