Kane Williamson is waiting on an injury update. Photo / AP
The West Indies start their New Zealand tour in 12 days' time and the clock is ticking for senior players battling injury niggles.
A medical bulletin from New Zealand Cricket yesterday highlighted five senior players, and it was a mixed bag.
Captain Brendon McCullum, who pulled out early from the
Bangladesh tour to rest a sore back, is doing light training and is expected to be named today in the New Zealand XI to face the West Indians in their tour opener starting at Lincoln on November 27.
There is encouraging progress from swing bowler Tim Southee. He played two of the three ODIs in Bangladesh this month and looked good, coming off ankle surgery. The trick is getting him ready for first-class matches, ahead of the first test starting in Dunedin on December 3.
Southee, who has two HRV T20 games for Northern Districts against Otago and Central Districts tonight and tomorrow night in Hamilton, is being lined up for ND's Plunket Shield game against CD from November 26.