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Ahead of the upcoming home ODI series against Bangladesh, uncapped seamer Ben Sears has been included in New Zealand as a backup cover for experienced pacer Kyle Jamieson, who is suffering from a strained left hamstring.
The right-arm quick pacer Jamieson felt stiffness in his left hamstring after travelling back from the recently concluded Bangladesh test match series. On Thursday, the Kiwi pacer arrived in Dunedin after coming back with the Test side on Tuesday. However, New Zealand’s head coach has said that the decision to keep Jamieson away was a precautionary measure them.
New Zealand plays the first ODI against Bangladesh on December 17 in Dunedin, followed by the second and third ODIs in Nelson and Napier on December 20 and 23, respectively.
“We’re taking a cautious approach with Kyle. We don’t want to rush or push him back, particularly at the very start of our home summer. He could play if absolutely necessary but we don’t want to take any unnecessary risks, hence calling in Ben for this first match,” said head coach Gary Stead in a statement issued by New Zealand cricket (NZC).
“Ben’s familiar to the team environment and it’s been good to see him back at full fitness for the Firebirds,” said head coach Gary Stead.
Sears is yet to debut in ODI cricket, though he has six T20I appearances for New Zealand. But featured in the squad for last year’s Chappell-Hadlee Series against Australia in Cairns. He has taken 36 wickets in 29 List A games at an average of 33.77 and economy of 5.62.
New Zealand squad: Tom Latham, Adi Ashok (matches 2 and 3), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi (match 1), Will Young and Ben Sears.
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