New Zealand loses Henry and Seifert for T20I series against Australia
Auckland, Feb 18 (IANS) – New Zealand’s fast-bowler Matt Henry and wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert have been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Australia. This comes as a blow to the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) as they have called in Ben Sears and Will Young as their replacements.
Henry suffered hip soreness following New Zealand’s second Test against South Africa and will require a short period of rest and strengthening to ensure he is fit for the Test series against Australia later this month. On the other hand, Seifert has been withdrawn from the squad due to a torn abductor suffered while training for his domestic team Northern Districts earlier in the week.
New Zealand’s head coach Gary Stead expressed his confidence in the swift recoveries of both players ahead of important series and events later in the year. However, he added that they were “gutted” for Seifert, who has been a strong performer over recent series and is an important part of the squad.
Stead also mentioned that Sears and Young were strong replacements for the injured duo of Henry and Seifert, citing their recent performances in domestic T20 matches as proof of their capabilities.
The New Zealand T20I squad assembles in Wellington ahead of the first T20I against Australia at Sky Stadium on Wednesday, with the second and third T20Is taking place on February 23 and 25 at Eden Park, Auckland.
The updated squad for New Zealand includes Mitchell Santner, Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, and Will Young. Meanwhile, the Australian squad is led by Mitchell Marsh and includes players like David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, and Matthew Wade.
–IANS
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