McCullum, Williamson say `no guarantee` of playing in Test opener against Windies

Johannesburg: New Zealand is reportedly concerned over the injuries of captain Brendon McCullum and batsman Kane Williamson as they prepare for this opening Test against the West Indies, with the hosts chasing their first series win for five years.

Williamson, recovering from a broken thumb, said that there was no guarantee he would play in the Dunedin Test starting on Tuesday while McCullum requires painkillers for a back injury. According to Sport24, Williamson, who bats at number three for his team, said that he still needs to discuss the injury risk and the way it can be managed with the medical staff of the team as he fears it would not recover 100 percent. McCullum, who returned home early from the recent tour of Bangladesh because of his back problems, said that he is in regular pain although he has dismissed reports that he could be forced to retire. However, the captain said that a bigger concern for him was needing to `lead from the front` and overcome a batting slump that saw him score just 54 runs in three Test innings against Bangladesh, followed by 22 and 10 against the West Indies in a tour warm-up game. The West Indies is currently ranked sixth in the world, two spots ahead of New Zealand, but they will be without powerful opening batsman Chris Gayle, who has been sidelined by a hamstring injury, the report added.