Cricket World Cup 2023: New Zealand skipper Tom Latham says pacer Tim Southee to miss opening clash against England

New Zealand's stand-in captain for their 2023 World Cup opener, Tom Latham has expressed delight over regular skipper Kane Williamson's recovery from a knee injury saying that he is doing really well. Also, New Zealand will miss Tom Southee in the lung opener.

Hyderabad: New Zealand will mark the start of the World Cup 2023with their clash against England. However, they will miss the services of skipper Kane Williamson as well as Tim Southee in the tournament opener. Tom Latham will lead the side in Williamson's absence and has given an update about Williamson saying he is doing quite well in terms of recovery from the injury.

"It's obviously great to see Kane back, to see him batting. It's like he'd never left to be honest, in terms of with the bat. It's great to see him moving really well. He is playing all the shots that he used to play, which is great, and to see him back in the field is another stepping stone in terms of where he needs to get to in terms of his recovery," Latham said in the pre-match press conference here.

"It's a day-by-day process with him making sure that whenever he is available he has ticked everything off all that he needs to do."

New Zealand were the finalists in the previous edition but a boundary count rule handed them a defeat even after fighting tooth and nail in the summit clash. This time around, they will play with a squad which involves some of the players like Will Young, Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra, who haven't played in India so far.

Latham stated that they have to be quick to think on their feet to adapt to the Indian surfaces. "We have got that mix of experience where we are able to lean on guys around. [Some] guys have played at this ground, some guys haven't. So adapting is a really important part of playing in these conditions that can change throughout the game. It is being able to think on our feet a little bit and make sure we stay ahead of the game," he explained.

Tim Southee is another key player, who will miss the first game as he suffered a thumb injury recently and went under the knife after that. Reflecting on the injury, Latham said that it's a day-by-day process for him (Southee) and it's important that he is in the right frame of mind to take on the field.

"He (Southee) is tracking along really well. He is nearly two weeks post-surgery. So for him, it's a day-by-day process as well in terms of making sure that he is in the right frame in terms of bowling and fielding. I'm sure once he gets back into his skill, he will be willing to go if that opportunity comes," he concluded.

ENDS