Two weeks before the T20 World Cup, New Zealand suffered a major injury blow. World Cup New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell has been ruled out of the T20 Tri-Series in Christchurch after fracturing his hand during training on Friday.
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“The all-rounder sustained a blow to his right-hand while batting in the nets, with an X-Ray later revealing a fracture to his fifth metacarpal (pinkie finger),” New Zealand cricket said in a statement.
New Zealand team’s physio Theo Kapakoulakis confirmed Mitchell’s hand had been placed in a cast which would need to remain on for at least two weeks.
Next stop, the T20I Tri-Series in @Christchurch_NZ! It all starts this Friday at Hagley Oval. #NZTriSeries #NZvBAN #NZvPAK pic.twitter.com/Vg64aLM9tl
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— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 5, 2022
Coach Gary Stead said some time was needed to consider a decision on Mitchell’s availability for the ICC T20 World Cup, with the squad set to depart for Australia on October 15.
“It’s a real shame for Daryl to suffer this injury on the eve of an exciting period of cricket for the side,” Stead said.
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“Daryl’s become a really important player to our T20 unit and we’re certainly going to miss his all-round skills and versatility in the Tri-Series.
“With our first game of the World Cup in just over two weeks we need to take some to consider Daryl’s recovery timeline and his potential involvement in the tournament.”
Mitchell’s replacement is yet to be announced.
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New Zealand will play thier first game og the tri-Series against Pakistan at Hagley Oval on Saturday. The other team in the series is Bangladesh.
