New Zealand captain Kane Williamson to miss World Cup opener against England

Williamson has played 161 ODIs, scoring 6,554 runs at an average of 47.83

Kane Williamson will miss New Zealand's 50-over World Cup opener against England on 5 October as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

The Black Caps' one-day international and T20 captain, 33, has not played since tearing cruciate ligaments at the Indian Premier League in April.

New Zealand cricket say Williamson will play as a batter in a warm-up game against Pakistan on Friday.

He will then look to bat and field in a final warm-up against South Africa.

"Right from the start we've taken a long-term view on Kane's return to play," said New Zealand coach Gary Stead.

"His recovery is tracking well and it's now a matter of making sure he can cope with the rigours and intensity of international cricket.

"We'll continue to take a day by day approach to Kane's rehabilitation and certainly won't be putting any pressure on him to return before he is ready."

Williamson has played 161 ODIs, scoring 6,554 runs at an average of 47.83.

Tom Latham will captain the Kiwis against Pakistan and could also be skipper when they face England in Ahmedabad, India.

The tournament opener is a repeat of the 2019 World Cup final at Lord's, which England won based on the amount of boundaries scored.