New Zealand pacer Tim Southee will undergo surgery on his fractured thumb on Thursday, September 21 confirmed the New Zealand Cricket (NCZ) board. The decision regarding his participation in the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023 will be taken after the thumb surgery.
Tim Southee sustained a dislocated and fractured right thumb during the final ODI between New Zealand vs England on Friday, September 15 at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. The injury occurred during the first innings while fielding at a wide first slip. In the fourteenth over, Southee attempted a catch to dismiss Joe Root. However, he hurt his finger and immediately signalled discomfort.
As a result, the pacer did not take the field for the rest of the game. He underwent scans to assess the severity. Southee will be undergoing thumb surgery, which will determine his participation in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in India. A decision is likely to be made early next week.
An update on Tim Southee's injury he sustained in the final ODI against England on Saturday. #CWC23https://t.co/SSeABUany3
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) September 20, 2023
We’ve got our fingers crossed: Gary Stead, NZ Coach
Blackcaps coach Gary Stead is hopeful that Tim Southee will recover in time for the upcoming World Cup. He expressed that Southee is an experienced player, whose presence will be valuable to the New Zealand team. In a statement released by New Zealand Cricket, Gary Stead said,
“We’ve got our fingers crossed that the surgery goes well for Tim. He’ll have some pins or screws inserted in his right thumb and, providing the procedure is a success, it will be a matter of ensuring Tim can tolerate the pain and manage the actual wound when returning to train and play.”
“Our opening game of the World Cup against England is not until Thursday, October 5 in Ahmedabad, so that would be our logical target in terms of his availability.”
“Tim’s obviously a hugely experienced and important figure in our team and we want to give him every chance to be part of this World Cup campaign,” added Gary Stead.
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