Tom Latham, New Zealand's stand-in captain, has provided an update on the injuries of the regular Kiwi skipper, Kane Williamson, and Lockie Ferguson ahead of their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match against South Africa. In the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, New Zealand faced significant setbacks with two key players, Kane Williamson and Lockie Ferguson, sustaining injuries.


Kane Williamson, the team's captain, had a rather challenging journey. After returning from a knee injury that he sustained in the Indian Premier League (IPL), in a match against Bangladesh on October 13, 2023, he led his team to an eight-wicket victory, scoring an impressive 78 runs. However, his return was marred by an unfortunate incident when he was hit on the left glove by a throw while taking a quick single.


This caused immediate pain and swelling, forcing him to retire hurt. Subsequent medical examinations revealed an undisplaced fracture in his left thumb, ruling him out of action until the later stages of the group play in the World Cup 2023, with Tom Blundell named as his replacement.


Ferguson Only Bowled Three Overs During The AUS vs NZ Match


Lockie Ferguson also faced injury troubles during the tournament. In a match against Australia in Dharamsala, he had to leave the field after bowling only three overs. New Zealand eventually lost the game to Australia in a thrilling manner. Ferguson experienced pain in his right Achilles and couldn't return for the rest of the match.


During a pre-match press conference ahead of New Zealand’s clash against South Africa on Wednesday, November 1, Tom Latham was asked about the status of Ferguson, Williamson, and Mark Chapman. Latham mentioned that they would assess their conditions after training on October 31. He also expressed hope that Lockie Ferguson's Achilles issue would not prevent him from playing in the upcoming match.


Latham stated, "Yeah, just as I said before, there's Lockie, Kane and Mark Chapman. We'll obviously get through hopefully a bit of work today and then we'll see how they pull up from a selection point of view. But yeah, obviously, Lockie went off in the last game with a bit of Achilles' niggle, so fingers crossed he'll be fine for tomorrow."


New Zealand will lock horns with South Africa on Wednesday, November 1 at the MCA Stadium in Pune , and will look to end their losing streak of two matches after being defeated by India and Australia in Dharamsala. South Africa, on the other hand, will inch closer to securing a semi-final berth if they emerge victorious.