Tim Southee to undergo surgery for fractured thumb ahead of 2023 World Cup

New Zealand veteran seamer Tim Southee is all set to undergo surgery for his right thumb which he dislocated and fractured during the fourth and final ODI against England on Saturday (September 16) at Lord's. A decision on the right-arm seamer's 2023 World Cup participation will come after the results of the surgery.

Southee is one of the first-choice bowlers in their attack and has ample experience in the sub-continent. The 34-year-old is New Zealand's third-highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals with 214 scalps in 157 games at 33.60 with three five-wicket hauls. He has formed one of the lethal new-ball bowling attacks with Trent Boult.

Head coach Gary Stead claimed they are hoping for Southee's surgery to go well and aiming for his availability for the opening game of the World Cup on October 5 against England. As quoted by the official website, Stead stated:

"We’ve got our fingers crossed the surgery goes well for Tim. He’ll have some pins or screws inserted in his right thumb and, providing the procedure is a success, it will be a matter of ensuring Tim can tolerate the pain and manage the actual wound when returning to train and play."

He added:

"Our opening game of the World Cup against England is not until Thursday October 5 in Ahmedabad, so that would be our logical target in terms of his availability. Tim’s obviously a hugely experienced and important figure in our team and we want to give him every chance to be part of this World Cup campaign."

The Kiwis have warm-up matches lined up against Pakistan and South Africa. New Zealand, who were also the runners-up in the past two editions, are currently in Bangladesh for the three-game ODI series against Bangladesh, beginning on September 21.

---

Tim Southee featured in only 1 match in the 2019 World Cup

Tim Southee celebrates a wicket.(Credits: Twitter)

Despite compiling the best bowling figures by a New Zealand bowler in an ODI fixture, the right-arm seamer managed to play only one match in the 2019 World Cup in England. Since then, the Kiwis preferred an attack consisting of Matt Henry, Trent Boult, and Lockie Ferguson.

The trio was hugely successful, notably, sparking India's collapse in the low-scoring semifinal in Manchester and eking out an 18-run victory eventually.