Auckland: New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell has been ruled out of the T20 Tri-Series in Christchurch after fracturing his hand during training at Lincoln on Friday.
The injury occurred a day before the Black Caps’ match against Pakistan on Saturday. Bangladesh is the other team in the Tri-series.
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, according to New Zealand Cricket (NZC).
New Zealand physio for the Tri-Series Theo Kapakoulakis confirmed Mitchell’s hand had been placed in a cast which would need to remain on for at least two weeks.
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.
“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 in the Tri-Series squad will be confirmed in due course.
–IANS