(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] New Zealand pacer Tim Southee, who picked up a thumb injury while playing against England last month, shared an update on his fitness ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which is set to start on October 5.
Southee’s injury is a double blow for the Black Caps as their captain Kane Williamson is also dealing with a fitness concern and is all set to miss the World Cup 2023 opener against England. However, Williamson is expected to play from the second match onwards, but there are uncertainties regarding Southee’s injury as he has been slowly recovering from it and might skip the initial part of the tournament.
Southee, while giving his injury update, mentioned that the area around where he had surgery is still a bit sore and numb, but he is trying to adjust to the discomfort and regain his bowling skills.
“It’s still a bit tender where obviously there’s a bit of scarring and a bit of numbness around where the plate is. So I guess it’s just (about) getting used to that. And getting back into some bowling. Haven’t done a lot of bowling over the last couple of weeks, so it’s about getting your loads back up as well as managing the thumb,” Southee was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Furthermore, he also talked about the rush to recover in time for the multi-nation tournament and expressed his excitement about playing in India.
“It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. A bit of a race against time to get here, but managed to get here and it’s a great place to come. It’s an awesome place to come and play cricket, let alone being a World Cup,” he added.
New Zealand will start their World Cup 2023 journey versus England on October 5 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.