NZ's Lockie Ferguson ruled out of Champions Trophy with foot injury
Listen to article
New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson was ruled out of the Champions Trophy with a foot injury on Tuesday in a major blow for the Black Caps on the eve of the tournament opener against hosts Pakistan.
All-rounder Rachin Ravindra could also miss the Group A match as he continues to recover from a blow to his forehead sustained during a tri-series match in Lahore earlier this month.
Ferguson, who suffered a hamstring injury in a T20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month, felt pain in his right foot after bowling in Sunday's warm-up match against Afghanistan.
An initial medical assessment suggested the 33-year-old would not be fit to take part in the entire tournament, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said.
New Zealand have decided to send him home and bring in Canterbury Kings fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, who will not reach Pakistan in time for Wednesday's match.
"We're really disappointed for Lockie," head coach Gary Stead said in the statement issued by the NZC.
"Lockie is a key part of the bowling group and brings a lot of major tournament experience and we know how much he was looking forward to representing New Zealand at another major event."
Jamieson returned to domestic cricket in December after 10 months on the sidelines due to a stress fracture in his back.
"Kyle brings plenty of pace and extra bounce which will suit the conditions here in Pakistan," Stead said of Jamieson, who will be available for New Zealand's second Group A game against Bangladesh on Feb. 24.
Though on a high after winning the tri-series in Pakistan beating the hosts in the final, New Zealand are also without quick Ben Sears due to a hamstring injury.
India's Jasprit Bumrah, Anrich Nortje of South Africa and Australian duo Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are among other fast bowlers to miss out on the Champions Trophy with injuries.
New Zealand are also waiting to hear about the fitness of spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra, who suffered a nasty blow after losing sight of the ball in the floodlights while attempting to catch it.
"He's had a couple of hits, but ... we'll take medical advice around it understanding with a hit in the head the way he got, and stitches to his forehead as well," Stead later told reporters.
"We will be taking a cautious approach with him. If he doesn't play this game, we expect he'll be right for the next one."
Pakistan captain Muhammad Rizwan confirmed Babar Azam would continue to open the innings like he did in the recent tri-series. "Babar is our most solid player, technically. He will bat at the top," Rizwan told reporters.
New Zealand beat Pakistan twice in the recent tri-series but Rizwan was hopeful they would be third time lucky. "We have identified our shortcomings and work on them. We are confident we will not repeat those mistakes tomorrow," he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
4 hours ago
- Express Tribune
'WTC final will propel Aussies among greats'
Australia will be looking to defend the title they won in 2023 as they take on SA in WTC final at Lord's today. PHOTO: REUTERS Nathan Lyon believes the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 represents a significant step in Australia's quest to become one of the all-time great Test teams. The 37-year-old off-spinner is part of Andrew McDonald's squad to take on South Africa at Lord's in the finale of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. Australia will be looking to defend the title they won in 2023 after beating India by 209 runs at The Oval, and Lyon, who took the match-winning wicket of Mohammed Siraj in that victory, wants to build on the progress that has been made since then. "It is important that we look at this week as a celebration piece," he said. "We've done incredibly well over the last couple of years, at home and away, and that is something that as a team, we should be really proud of. "In my eyes, we're on a journey to becoming a great Australian team. We're not there yet, I'm well aware of that, but that's our goal too. "This game is another step up that ladder." Australia finished second in the league table during the 2023-25 WTC cycle, having claimed 67.54 per cent of the points on offer to them. They were also the only nation not to lose a series in that time, winning four of the six series they played. Their percentage was only bettered by the table-topping Proteas' 69.44 per cent. Lyon, a New South Wales native, has taken 56 wickets against South Africa in 18 matches during his career and expects nothing less than a fierce contest with the side captained by Temba Bavuma. "Yes, we've been here before, but South Africa qualified first during this World Test Championship," he continued. "Throughout these two years, they've done something really well to finish top, and so they deserve that home changing room leading into this game. Australia have plenty of firepower within their bowling ranks for this match, with five of those selected within the top 14 of the ICC Men's Test Bowling rankings. Lyon himself sits fifth on that list, with captain Pat Cummins in third, Josh Hazlewood in fourth, with Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland in 11th and 14th, respectively. Cummins (73), Starc (72) and Lyon (66) also currently occupy positions two through four on the leading wicket-takers list for this edition of the WTC. The presence of multiple experienced and skilled bowlers in the Australian camp is only improving the standards in training, revealed Lyon. "As a bowling squad, we are very proud of where we are currently at," he said. "But we're not leaving any stone unturned and we're still trying to get better as a bowling group. "I feel that spurs each and every one of us on to get better." Australia last played Test cricket in England during the 2023 Ashes series – the opening contest of the 2023-25 WTC cycle – but many from the squad have since taken the opportunity to return to play on the shores of the old rival. Lyon played for Lancashire in 2024, while Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and Beau Webster have represented Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire, respectively, this season. Green's stint in England has been particularly impressive, with the all-rounder plundering 467 runs in just five County Championship Division 2 matches at an average of 66.71. He has also scored three hundreds, including match-winning knocks of 128 and 67 not out against Kent in mid-May. And Lyon feels the 26-year-old will learn a lot from his stint in the West Country. "It's been amazing to have Greeny over here," he added. "I think he's played four or five games for Gloucestershire and done really well. So, hopefully, that gives him the confidence to pick things up from where he left off. "It's important, especially for the younger players, like Greeny, to come over here and play county cricket. "I feel like you get a lot of understanding of how the game is played over here in these conditions, how the Dukes ball moves around and how the overhead conditions play a role."
Business Recorder
16 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Australia's Hazlewood returns for WTC final against South Africa
LONDON: Marnus Labuschagne will open the batting for Australia and Josh Hazlewood has been selected in the bowling line-up for the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's, captain Pat Cummins said on the eve of the game on Tuesday. Labuschagne has been moved up the order to accommodate the return of Cameron Green, who underwent back surgery in October and was ruled out of the home season, while Hazlewood is fit again after a calf injury to replace of Scott Boland. 'Cam Green has been coming back in great form in the last few weeks and we thought he deserved a spot in the batting lineup. We thought three probably suits him best,' Cummins told a press conference. 'For Marnus moving one spot up, it's not too different to batting at three. He's done well here in England in the past.' Leaving out Boland, who had been one of the heroes of Australia's 3-1 Test series win over India this year, had been a difficult decision. 'There are some guys where you genuinely say, you've done nothing wrong, don't change a thing and that's Scotty. He is just really unfortunate to miss out. 'The message to Scotty is there's a lot of Test cricket coming up in the next couple of years and just because your mid-30s doesn't mean that's the end of your career. 'By having a squad of fast bowlers, hopefully we can extend all our care for an extra couple of years.' An element of selection criteria was to reward those who had contributed to defending champions Australia winning 13 of 19 Tests in the two-year WTC cycle and reaching yet another final. 'I think our selectors have probably shown you that they're happy and they'd rather give someone an extra little run than pull the pin too early. I think it's partly rewarding those guys that got us here.' Cummings said defending the title was high on the Australian priority list, even after all their success in the limited-overs formats. 'It's a trophy we've spoken a lot about over the last couple of years. 'Test cricket is my favourite format. You've got to basically win in all different conditions to make it into this final. If we can retain that mace, that's a pretty awesome thing for this team.' Australia team: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
Spurs women coach Vilahamn sacked after poor season
Tottenham Hotspur have sacked their women's team coach Robert Vilahamn after the club finished 11th in the Women's Super League, the club said on Sunday. Just like the men's side this season, the women's team also finished one spot above the relegation zone, recording only five wins from 22 matches. Swedish coach Vilahamn had guided Spurs to sixth the previous year while they also finished runners-up in the FA Cup. But this season they suffered some heavy defeats by Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, finishing the campaign without a win in their last 10 league games. 'There have been some special moments during Robert's tenure, including reaching the FA Cup final for the first time,' the club said in a statement. 'However, results and performances this season have not been to the level we would expect and now is the right time to make a change. 'We should like to thank Robert for his professionalism and efforts over the past two seasons, and we wish him well for the future.' Vilahamn's departure comes two days after the club sacked men's team coach Ange Postecoglou. The Australian ended the club's 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League but Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League.
