SL vs NZ 2019: Lockie Ferguson Ruled Out of T20 Series

Lockie Ferguson, the pace spearhead of New Zealand, has been ruled out of the rest of the T20I series against Sri Lanka after sustaining a thumb injury. However, New Zealand will not name a replacement for him.

Ferguson fractured his right thumb during a training session ahead of the first T20I in Kandy. Soon afterwards, he went for a scan and eventually was ruled out after scans revealed a fracture to the middle joint. On the other hand, regular captain Kane Williamson is also not playing in the series. The absence of both players may make grabbing a win, a Herculean task.

New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead confirmed the news on Sunday (September 1) that Ferguson has left for home.

“It’s a shame for Lockie to have to miss this series, especially coming off the back of such an impressive World Cup campaign in England,” he said. “The thumb has been put in a splint and is expected to take four to six weeks to recover; so we’re optimistic he’ll be available for the five-game T20 series against England, which starts on November 1 in Christchurch.”

“We won’t name a replacement at this stage as we’re confident we have adequate cover within the T20 squad who are here,” he further added.

New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in the second T20I in Kandy on Tuesday, while the final game of the three-match T20I series will be played on Friday.