Will O’Rourke to miss second Zimbabwe Test due to back injury and has been sent home for further medical advice.
Will O’Rourke has been sent home for further medical advice after suffering back stiffness.
Will O’Rourke is the most recent player to be out for the second Test match against Zimbabwe due to a back injury, adding to New Zealand’s ongoing injury problems.
Pace bowling all-rounder Zakary Foulkes received his first call-up into the Test team to replace Nathan Smith, who was already sidelined for the second Test due to an abdominal strain.
Ben Lister, a left-arm fast bowler for the Auckland Aces, was also called in as a stand-in for O’Rourke, who was sent home for more medical advice after experiencing back stiffness on day three of the first Test. Lister will now stay with the team.
“We are hopeful it’s nothing too series,” New Zealand bowling coach Jacob Oram said. “When he’s so important to our side for the next six to eight months but also next year with all the Test cricket, we’ve got some big tours, we need to make sure we look after the big guy and make sure that he’s okay. So we have our fingers crossed for him and hopefully he’ll be back on the park soon.”
Before experiencing back stiffness, O’Rourke had 3 for 28 from 10 in the second Test innings and bowled 13 overs without a wicket in the first innings. Due to O’Rourke’s injury, Matthew Fisher or Jacob Duffy could make their Test debut. Fisher was called into the squad right before the tour after proving himself as a net bowler to coach Rob Walter.
Mitchell Santner filled in as captain when New Zealand captain Tom Latham missed the first match due to a shoulder injury. It is unclear if Latham will be cleared to play in the second Test, which starts on August 7.