Tim Southee, who underwent surgery to treat a
fractured right thumb, has been given the all-clear to go with the New Zealand
team to the ODI World Cup.
The fourth and final ODI between New Zealand and
England was played at Lord’s earlier this month when the 34-year-old dislocated
his finger while attempting to make a catch. In order to be ready for New
Zealand’s opening World Cup match against England on October 5, he underwent
surgery and will now depart for India on Saturday. If Southee is able to
recover in time, it will be his eighth international trip to India and his
fourth involvement in the ODI World Cup after taking part in it in 2011, 2015,
and 2019.
Kyle Jamieson, a fast bowler, will also join the New
Zealand team. He is not officially a member of the 15-person World Cup squad
and won’t be able to participate in any of the exhibition games. He merely
serves as protection. Before the World Cup, Bangladesh was defeated 2-0 by the
team that Jamieson was a part of.
With their captain Kane Williamson recovering from a
torn ACL he sustained in the IPL last season, New Zealand already has
injury concerns. Although he is a member of the New Zealand World Cup squad, it
is uncertain whether he will be ready to play when the competition begins the
following week.
On Wednesday, a second group of New Zealand players
and support staff are scheduled to leave Christchurch for India, and a few
players from Bangladesh will join the team.
Before playing in the opening World Cup match in
Ahmedabad, New Zealand plays two exhibition games against Pakistan on September
29 in Hyderabad and South Africa on October 2 in Thiruvananthapuram.