New Zealand coach Gary Stead gives an update on Kane Williamson's international return

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has said that skipper Kane Williamson is in line to be fit enough to feature in the upcoming three-match Test series in England, scheduled for June and July this year.

Williamson missed the entire home summer, which included four Tests against Bangladesh and South Africa and an ODI series against the Netherlands due to recurring elbow issues.

He hasn't featured in an international game since the Kanpur Test against India last December and made his comeback to competitive cricket with the 15th season of the Indian Premier League.

"Everything's going to plan in terms of how he's feeling and how he's preparing. He's on track with where we want him to be, with our view of getting him ready for the Test match series in England," said Stead as quoted by Cricbuzz.

In his absence, Test opener Tom Latham led the reigning WTC champions in the home summer, but Stead expects Williamson to continue in the role once he returns.

"At the moment, Kane's just out of that role because he hasn't been available for us. So when Kane comes back, I expect him to be captain for us again."

New Zealand missed the services of their talisman batsman throughout the home Tests, but at the time, Stead had said that the right-hander's decision to sit out was the right thing for both his and the team's long term future.

"He's one of our great batsmen, so he'll always be missed. But we still maintain that it was the right thing by Kane, and it'll be the right thing by us in the long term. The catch-22 is, Kane comes back early, scores a hundred, and his elbow's gone again, and then we'd be in the same place," he said.

"I'd like him to play everything. Any team with Kane Williamson in it looks slightly stronger than one without him," he added.

New Zealand had a disappointing home summer following their 0-1 defeat to India last December.

They ended the home season without a single series win thanks to underwhelming performances against Bangladesh and South Africa. They will need to pull up their socks when they take on England later this summer.