Ben Sears' Fitness & Form a Major Win for New Zealand, Says Coach Walter

Sears was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the series with eight scalps in five games at an average of 14.50 and an economy rate of 6.44.

"First and foremostly for Searsy (Ben Sears) to have a sort of lengthened period of time where he's been fully fit and playing consecutive games... so to play an entire series is a win and you know forget about the performance side of things," Walter said as per ESPNcricinfo.

Walter praised Ben Sears for his hard work and dedication, noting that his efforts as a reserve during the World Cup have translated into strong performances in this series in New Zealand. He highlighted Sears' work ethic and self-discipline, adding that he should feel proud of how he performed.

"Just that is the win, but you know, seeing how hard he (Ben Sears) worked in the World Cup [as a travelling reserve] and the things that he was working on and then to see it roll out in the competitive environment here in New Zealand, like again, is a huge positive. I know that he's a hard worker and he's hard on himself, but you can certainly look back on this series and be sort of very proud of his performance," he added.

Sears missed the 2025 Champions Trophy due to a hamstring tear and then suffered another hamstring injury while playing for Washington Freedom in MLC 2025.

Sears earned his maiden-call-up to the New Zealand squad for the white-ball tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan in 2021. In 2024, he made his Test debut for New Zealand, against Australia, in Christchurch, where he took a five-wicket haul.

Sears has featured in 32 matches for New Zealand. He has scalped 46 wickets at an average of 22.67 and an economy rate of 6.88, including two five-wicket hauls across all formats.

- ANI