New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson will miss the opening match of his team in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 against England as he continues to recover from knee surgery, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced the batter’s availability update on Friday.

Williamson was named in Blackcap’s 15-member squad for the World Cup after returning from a six-month layoff. The New Zealand skipper will play the role of specialist batter in a warm-up match against Pakistan on Friday in Hyderabad with the aim of batting and fielding in their second and last warm-up against South Africa in Trivandrum on Monday.