New Zealand’s preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup suffered a setback with fast bowler Adam Milne and all-rounder Michael Bracewell suffering injuries ahead of the global competition in India and Sri Lanka on February 7.
Milne injured his left hamstring while bowling for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in SA20 on Sunday and is currently being assessed, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said in a statement on Tuesday.
Bracewell suffered a left calf strain while playing in the third and final one-day international (ODI) match against India in Indore on Sunday.
“Bracewell will be treated and monitored over the coming days before a decision on his future participation in the tour is confirmed,” the NZC said.
All-rounder Kristian Clarke has been added to the squad to cover his first three T20 internationals in the five-match series against India which begins on Wednesday.
“We have quite a bit of player movement at the moment with some guys returning from injury for this series, others joining us immediately from franchise cricket and the rest coming from the India ODI series,” coach Rob Walter said.
We want to make sure we have enough bowling options for the first three games of this series and this is a great opportunity for Kristian to stay with the group a little longer on their first tour of India.
He certainly showed his talent in the ODI series, but what was particularly impressive was his calmness and ability to perform under pressure.
New Zealand will begin their World Cup campaign in Group D against Afghanistan in Chennai on February 8.
