Ace New Zealand speedster Matt Henry has been officially ruled out of the remainder of the 2023 World Cup, forcing them to announce a replacement.
To bet on the World Cup with our Match Centre Partners bet365 head here.
What happened to Henry?
Henry had suffered a hamstring injury in the game against South Africa at the MCA International Stadium in Pune a few days back while bowling. He had to leave the field mid-over and wasn’t able to take any further part in the game except coming in to bat at No.11, where he wasn’t able to run.
New Zealand had called in Kyle Jamieson as a cover given the injuries to their fast bowlers, including Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and Jimmy Neesham. However, Henry had not been officially ruled out of the tournament as they awaited the results of his scans, until now.
The MRI scan results have come out and they show a grade two lower tear in his right hamstring which will take anywhere between two to four weeks to recover from. With only around two weeks left for the World Cup, New Zealand had no choice but to officially replace him in the squad.
Who is the replacement?
Jamieson, who had already flown in to India to join the squad as a cover, has been named as the replacement for Henry and will now be a part of the 15-member playing squad and will be available for selection from the next game onwards.
Matt Henry has been ruled out of the @cricketworldcup with a torn right hamstring and has been replaced in the squad by Kyle Jamieson. An MRI scan confirmed he has a grade two lower tear which will require at least 2 to 4 weeks to recover from. #CWC23 https://t.co/HXmethEthZ
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 3, 2023
Henry had been in good form in the World Cup, picking up 11 wickets from seven games at an average of 28.6. He had been spearheading the New Zealand seam attack along with Trent Boult, and will be a huge miss for New Zealand going forward, particularly given how the race for semi-final qualification is heating up.
New Zealand’s next game is against Pakistan at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on November 4. New Zealand are currently fourth on the points table with eight points from seven games while Pakistan are fifth with six points from as many games. This match will go a long way in deciding the fate of both teams as far qualification is concerned.
