NZ v PAK 2020: 3 New Zealand players down with injuries, says chief selector

With less than a week left for New Zealand to host Pakistan, the hosts are battling injury concerns in both their limited-overs and Test squads, revealed chief selector Gavin Larsen on Saturday. The tour kickstarts on December 18 with a three-match T20I series, followed by two Test matches.

New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme and express fast bowler Lockie Ferguson have been ruled out of the T20I series with a foot injury and stress fracture in the back respectively. Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel is nursing a calf strain.

Ferguson, who was the Man of the Series in the recently concluded T20Is against the West Indies after taking 7 wickets at an average of 8, will be a big miss in the white-ball leg against Babar Azam’s side. Gavin Larsen echoed a similar sentiment.

“I am gutted for Lockie. He has an X-factor with the pace at which he bowls. He has grown his role...and is a pivotal member of our bowling line-up in Twenty20 cricket. This is a major setback, but we will keep our fingers crossed that when the prognosis comes through that we’re talking weeks not months,” Larsen told reporters at the Basin Reserve.

Commenting on De Grandhomme and Patel coming back into the New Zealand squads, Larsen stated the all-rounder might miss the Test series as well. Notably, it was the same foot injury that forced De Grandhomme to miss the ongoing West Indies tour. He added that Patel’s comeback hinges on the New Zealand A match next week in Whangarei.

“The last thing we want is to put him [Colin de Grandhomme] back on the park and he’s not quite ready and we lose him for the season...Ajaz [Patel] is tracking well. Bowling is not an issue, but with a calf it’s the explosive work needed while fielding, sharp turning that is more of a concern at this stage," he said.

“We’d like to think he gets through some good work up there then we can chuck him back into consideration for the Boxing Day Test,” Larsen, who picked 137 wickets from 121 ODIs and 8 Tests for New Zealand, concluded.

Check out the full squad here - NZ v PAK 2020: Boult, Williamson to play the last 2 T20Is, Hamish Bennet and Lockie Ferguson ruled out