Tim Southee fit to feature in New Zealand World Cup Squad
New Zealand’s cricket board (NZC) has announced that Tim Southee will be a available for the national squad for the upcoming World Cup, scheduled for next month. This positive development follows Southee’s notable progress in his recovery from a thumb injury.
The NZC made this announcement on Tuesday, and in addition to Southee’s participation, there’s also an interesting twist involving Kyle Jamieson, who is set to travel to India as a contingency measure.
Southee’s Road to Recovery from Thumb Injury
Fast bowler Tim Southee’s journey to rejoin the New Zealand squad took a challenging turn when he dislocated and fractured his thumb while attempting a catch during the fourth ODI match between New Zealand and England at the Lord’s. To address this injury, Southee underwent surgery, which was successfully performed last Thursday.
It was being speculated that Southee might miss some part of the World Cup. With Kane Williamson already recovering from injury, tow senior players have miss the tournament.
New Zealand’s World Cup campaign is set to commence with a formidable encounter against defending champions England in the 50-overs World Cup held in India.
“Tim Southee’s been cleared to join the Black Caps in India later this week as he continues to progress his recovery from surgery on his fractured right thumb,” as stated by NZC in an official statement.
The 34-year-old veteran paceman is now gearing up to depart for the ICC Cricket World Cup on Saturday, with a clear objective of making himself available for the Black Caps’ opening match against England.
Kyle Jamieson as a Contingency Plan
In a strategic move, the NZC has decided to include pace-bowler Kyle Jamieson in the World Cup squad’s travel plans to India this week. However, it’s important to note that Jamieson’s role is designated as a contingency measure.
This means he won’t be officially part of the World Cup squad, and consequently, he won’t be eligible to participate in any of the warm-up matches. Since returning from injury, he hasn’t looked in good form.
New Zealand demonstrated their depth in cricket when a second-string team registered an ODI series win in Bangladesh last Thursday after wait of 15 years.
New Zealand bowling has certainly been strengthed by inclusion of Tim Southee who has been star performer for the Blackcaps consistently in last 10 years. Absence of Kyle Jamieson will not trouble New Zealand much because likes of Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne have been in the squad for last 10-12 months.
New Zealand Squad for ODI World Cup 2023
Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham, Mark Chapman, Will Young, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Devon Conway
