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ToggleThe Black Caps have suffered a double blow as pacer Matt Henry and wicketkeeper Tim Seifert have been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Australia. Matt Henry and Tim Seifert will be replaced by Ben Sears and Will Young for the three-match series.
The first T20I match between New Zealand and Australia, led by Mitchell Marsh, is scheduled to be played at the Sky Stadium in Wellington on Wednesday, February 21. The remaining two matches will be played in Auckland on February 23 and February 25, respectively.
Mitchell Santner To Lead New Zealand In T20I Series
All-rounder Mitchell Santner will lead the national team in Kane Williamson’s absence as the latter takes paternity leave. Daryl Mitchell is sidelined with a foot injury. Pacer Tim Southee will only play in the first match to manage his workload ahead of the Test series.
Matt Henry experienced hip soreness after the 2nd Test against South Africa in Hamilton and will need a brief period of rest and strengthening before the Test series against Australia. Tim Seifert has been sidelined due to a torn abductor sustained during training with the Northern Districts earlier this week.
Gary Stead Optimistic About Matt Henry and Tim Seifert’s Recovery
Black Caps coach Gary Stead expressed confidence in both players’ swift recoveries. Stead emphasized the necessity of Matt Henry being fully fit before the Tests and noted Tim Seifert’s regular presence in the T20I setup.
“Matt’s understandably disappointed, but a break for the T20Is will ensure he’s fully fit and ready to go for the Tests against Australia later this month,” said Stead.
“We’re gutted for Tim who has been a strong performer over recent series and is an important part of the squad. We’re hopeful he’ll make a swift recovery ahead of an important period of T20I cricket for the team,” he added.
Ben Sears Is A Talented T20 Bowler – Gary Stead
Stead mentioned that Ben Sears and Will Young are strong replacements for the upcoming series. He highlighted Sears’ impactful performances against Pakistan and commended Young’s consistent contributions across formats.
“Ben showed in his recent performances against Pakistan that he is a talented T20 bowler capable of influencing games of cricket for New Zealand,” Stead further added.
“Will has been a regular in the environment across formats for some time now and his recent performances for the Central Stags in the Super Smash show he his more than capable to contribute at this level,” he concluded.
Left-arm pacer Trent Boult is set to rejoin the New Zealand squad after a 15-month absence from the shorter format. Boult will feature in the latter two matches of the series. The pacer last played a T20 match during the 2022 World Cup encounter against Pakistan.
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult (games 2 & 3), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (game 1), Will Young.
Also read: PAK vs NZ: Watch – Saim Ayub Surprises Matt Henry With Stupendous No-Look Six
