Kane Williamson's focus will be on T20s keeping England tour in mind: Gary Stead

Kane Williamson has been out of action since the recurrence of an elbow injury. Williamson has been out of action since the Kanpur Test against India with Tom Latham deputising for him.

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead says Williamsnon's immediate focus will be on playing more T20s with one eye on being fully fit for the England tour in June. As many as 12 players from New Zealand will play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and will miss the home white-ball series against the Netherlands as a result.

"Kane's heading off to India. All the IPL guys are away this week and heading off there. That's just part of the current cycle of what it looks like in world cricket," Stead said, according to ESPNCricinfo.

"He's going really well. He's been everywhere we want him to be and that's great. For us, Kane playing T20 cricket is the right way forward for the short term. 

"It means we can manage his loads a little bit more. And we have a little bit more of a clear idea around how many balls he will be hitting to make sure he is loading the elbow progressively, with a view to him being right for the Tests in the UK which we will be really hopeful for."

Williamson's injury flared up during the India tour, which prevented him from playing more than a Test. He opted to go into rehab instead of going under the knife in a bid to be available for the Test series against South Africa at home, but it did not happen.

New Zealand handed maiden call-ups to Michael Bracewell and Dane Cleaver for the series against the Netherlands, both of whom have been prolific run-getters in the Super Smash. Stead says it is a great opportunity to prove their worth on the international stage.

"It's a great opportunity," Stead said. 

"Every time a new player gets selected for New Zealand and plays for the Black Caps, it's exciting for them and exciting for our team. I think the natural opportunity that's come around with 12 guys being essentially ruled out by playing in the IPL is exciting for us.

"We try and show loyalty to those that have been in our squad and I think that's been part of the reason we've had some of the success we've had. We don't make it easy to get into the teams, but Michael's been knocking on the door for a while now. He's a true all-rounder. 

"He's got some great skills in all three forms of the game, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he can bring."

New Zealand take on the Netherlands in four white-ball matches, starting with the one-off T20I on March 25, followed by three ODIs, which will be part of the World Cup Super League.