Blackcaps coach Gary Stead might be optimistic at best, but he still hopes Kane Williamson can be involved in New Zealand's Cricket World Cup campaign.
After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during the Indian Premier League, Williamson, 32, has been all but ruled out of this year's tournament in India.
The master batter has undergone knee surgery, with an expected recovery timeline of nine months and the World Cup due to begin in October.
While Stead concedes Williamson is "unlikely" to be fit, he will not definitively draw a line through his captain's participation. Even if Williamson misses the tournament as a player, he may take a mentorship role within the team instead.
"It's still far too early to know," said Stead. "He's had the operation and to date what we know it's been successful.
"He's still in the early stages of his rehab programme. It's obviously pretty non-weight bearing at this stage.
"He's in a brace, so it's [about] meeting milestones as we go. Our line around Kane at the moment is still that it's unlikely he'll be available, but we certainly don't want to rule out a person of his class and calibre, and the things he brings to this team too early, in case there is that chance still."
Meanwhile, the Blackcaps will have to fill a Williamson-shaped hole at No.3 in their one-day batting order. One candidate who has done his chances no harm is Mark Chapman.
With a five-match one-day series against Pakistan beginning Thursday (NZ time), Chapman's performances in the T20 series draw has seen him shoehorned into the Blackcaps' plans as a late inclusion.
In four matches, Chapman scored 290 runs and was dismissed only once, and led a stunning victory that squared the series with an unbeaten 104.
Chapman's form is a welcome contribution to New Zealand's cause in Pakistan, as one pushing for a spot at the World Cup.
"It's not just about one knock from Mark Chapman, why he was added to the ODI squad," added Stead. "There's a lot of competition for places.
"It's not so much about the competition, it's about how we keep building to the World Cup. Mark Chapman is still one guy that is in our thoughts for that."
