New Zealand has suffered a big setback ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 with fast bowler Ben Sears being ruled out with a hamstring injury from the eight-team event to be played in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19.
According to New Zealand Cricket (NZC), Sears felt some pain in his left hamstring at the team’s first training in Karachi on Wednesday and a subsequent scan revealed a minor tear, which would require at least two weeks’ rehabilitation.
The rehabilitation timeframe means that Sears would likely be available for only the team’s final Group A match against India in Dubai. So the decision was made to rule him out, the NZC informed in a release on Friday.
Sears will be replaced in the official Champions Trophy squad by Otago Volts bowler Jacob Duffy, who is already part of the squad for the ODI Tri-Series against Pakistan and South Africa.
The Black Caps' head coach Gary Stead said the news was bitterly disappointing for Sears.
We’re all really feeling for Ben. It’s always tough being ruled out of a major event at such a late stage, and it’s especially tough in Ben’s case given it would have been his first major ICC event..
Ben is a player with huge potential and given the short rehabilitation timeframe, we’re sure he’ll be fit and raring to go for the home series against Pakistan back in New Zealand.
He’s been part of the squad for the ODI Tri-Series so he’s fully acclimatised and he’s got plenty of experience in these conditions and is fit and ready to go.
New Zealand will start their Champions Trophy campaign in the opening match of the tournament against the hosts Pakistan on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Stead revealed that star batter Rachin Ravindra is yet to regain full fitness after sustaining an injury during the first match against Pakistan in the ongoing Tri-Nation Series as the opener “had a headache for a few days” since suffering a nasty blow to the forehead.
Ravindra was forced out from the field after being struck in the forehead by the ball while attempting a catch in the match against Pakistan last week. Stead mentioned that despite returning to the nets on Thursday night, he was still not ready to play.
The pleasing thing is that he’s progressing well. We’re following (head injury assessment) protocols at the moment.
He’s had a headache for a few days but that’s subsiding, which is really good news. He hit a few balls tonight for the first time, which is good, but there are still a few more steps for him to go through before he can be considered fit for play.
