The New Zealand cricket team, known as the BLACKCAPS, has faced quite some challenges in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. The Kiwis have been plagued with injuries in the subcontinent. Now, they’ve had to make some changes to their squad to deal with injuries and uncertainties. Kyle Jamieson, has been called up to join the team in India as a backup.
Jamieson was actually with the squad before, covering for another player, Tim Southee, at the start of the tournament. Kyle Jamieson will arrive in Bengaluru on Thursday, just in time for the upcoming game against Pakistan on Saturday.
Why Kyle Jamieson?
The reason for bringing in Kyle Jamieson is that two key bowlers, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson, are dealing with injuries. Matt Henry has a hamstring issue, and they are waiting for scan results to understand the severity of the injury.
Meanwhile, Lockie Ferguson is recovering from an Achilles injury. With these two uncertainties, the team’s coach, Gary Stead, felt it was necessary to have a backup plan to ensure they have enough bowlers for the Pakistan match.
Stead mentioned that Matt Henry has been a great performer for New Zealand in ODI (One Day International) cricket for a while, and they are hoping for positive scan results.
In the meantime, Kyle Jamieson, who has experience with the team, is on his way to India and will train with the team on Friday to potentially be available for the game on Saturday. The good news is that Jamieson has been training with the team for two weeks during the tournament and has even played in a Plunket Shield match, so they believe he’ll be ready to contribute.
So, to summarize, the BLACKCAPS are taking precautionary measures by bringing in Kyle Jamieson as cover due to the injuries of two key bowlers. They hope that he can help them in the upcoming match against Pakistan, and the team is relocating to Bengaluru as part of their preparations.
