An elbow injury has cut short Kane Williamson's return to provincial cricket but the Black Caps captain expects to be ready for the Australians later this month - and the remainder of a hectic 2021 schedule.
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Williamson has been prolific for Northern Districts in the domestic T20 competition during an international break but has been advised to rest up for a week as a "precaution" due to inflammation in a tendon in his elbow.
With the rest of the Black Caps home summer with tours by Australia starting on 22 February and Bangladesh beginning on 20 March, followed by a succession of overseas commitments Williamson needs to be fit.
Preparing to spend a large part of this year on tour was "a challenge" and the new dad is still working out what that will mean for his family.
He has been spending time at home with his daughter, who was born in December, with a six-week break between international games but the remainder of 2021 will see him away for overseas tours including the World Test Championship and T20 World Cup as well as playing in the Indian Premier League and the new The Hundred in Britain.
"It could be nine months or so, maybe more," Williamson said of the time he would be away from his home base of Mt Maunganui.
"It's a challenge actually and we haven't planned it out exactly, I don't think you can, you can try and throw in a few contingencies to see how it might unfold but at this point in time we'll look to go from the IPL to the UK, stay in the UK and within that two to three month period we'll have there and then on to some of the series we have which could be a three and half month block from the likes of Bangladesh, Pakistan and India with the T20 World Cup and then back maybe December."
Despite the the packed schedule Williamson said turning out for the Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred was a good fit.
The inaugural 100-ball cricket competition was postponed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic and will now be played from mid-July - which follows on from the Black Caps' appearance in the World Test Championship.
"We're going to be in that part of the world and my wife's family is in the UK and so it's a good opportunity to get back with the baby.
"There's still a few things to work through in terms of how that whole picture looks but exciting that we'll get to spend some time over there and hopefully play in that 100-ball all going well."
Williamson said a benefit of spending the time overseas, rather than returning to New Zealand, was the potential for one less quarantine.
The Black Caps would be discussing the Covid-19 vaccine before their upcoming tours, Williamson said.
"In our country it's sometimes hard to connect with the speed in which the vaccine does need to be rolled out, particularly in other countries.
"As a cricketer that has gone overseas during that [pandemic] time you can now appreciate a lot of the other challenges that go on around the world, so I guess looking ahead there is still so much happening and unknowns with the Covid virus that there'll be a lot of conversations about that moving forward but there is still a bit of time [before the Black Caps leave]."
Pre-tours checks would be crucial to deciding if the Black Caps travelled, Williamson said, but decisions would be made closer to the time.