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Ben Sears Joins NZ as T20 World Cup Reserve After Milne Injury

Pace bowler Ben Sears has been added to the New Zealand squad as a travelling reserve for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. He replaces Adam Milne, who withdrew with a hamstring injury sustained during the SA20 tournament. Sears has been in strong domestic form, taking 15 wickets in nine Super Smash games. New Zealand begins its World Cup campaign in Group D against Afghanistan on February 8 in Chennai.

Key Points: Ben Sears Named NZ's T20 World Cup Travelling Reserve

  • Sears replaces injured Adam Milne
  • Sears was joint second-top wicket-taker in Super Smash
  • Kyle Jamieson already called into main squad
  • NZ's first match is Feb 8 vs Afghanistan
2 min read

NZ add Sears in T20 WC squad as travelling reserve

Fast bowler Ben Sears replaces Adam Milne as New Zealand's travelling reserve for the T20 World Cup after Milne's hamstring injury.

"It will be great to have Ben with us here in India and ready to make an impact at the World Cup should someone get injured - Rob Walter"

Wellington, Jan 30

Pace-bowler Ben Sears will join the New Zealand squad as a travelling reserve for the ICC T20 World Cup, starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, NZC said on Friday.

The 27-year-old will link up with the T20 World Cup squad in Mumbai on Sunday ahead of the side's warm-up match against the USA on February 5.

NZC said Sears will replace Kyle Jamieson who was called into the main squad last week following the withdrawal of Adam Milne with a hamstring injury.

Milne suffered the injury while bowling in the SA20 with subsequent scans revealing the extent of the injury.

Sears has been in good form for Wellington in New Zealand's domestic Super Smash competition. Head coach Rob Walter said Sears had made an encouraging comeback from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the start of the home summer.

"Ben's worked hard to get himself back on the park and it's been great to see him back playing and performing well," he said.

"He's had a full Super Smash campaign with the Firebirds where he was the competition's joint second-top wicket-taker from the round-robin stage with 15 wickets from his nine games.

"It will be great to have Ben with us here in India and ready to make an impact at the World Cup should someone get injured," Walter added.

New Zealand have been placed in Group D alongside Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa and the UAE, with their opening match taking place on February 8 in Chennai against Afghanistan.

New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

Reserve: Ben Sears

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Sears has been in good form in the Super Smash. Smart move by NZ management. But honestly, my focus is on our Men in Blue! Can't wait for the World Cup to start on home soil.
A
Aman W
Hamstring injuries are such a nightmare for fast bowlers. Happened to Milne, happened to Bumrah in the past. Teams really need to manage workloads, especially before a big event.
S
Sarah B
New Zealand's group looks interesting. Afghanistan can be a dark horse. But playing in India, the conditions will be a big test for all visiting teams. Advantage India!
V
Vikram M
Respect to NZ for being so professional with their planning. Having a travelling reserve is sensible. Hope our BCCI provides similar support systems for our players too, not just for the senior team but the emerging ones as well.
K
Karthik V
The warm-up match is in Mumbai and the first NZ game in Chennai. As a cricket fan from India, I'm just excited to have a World Cup here again. The atmosphere is going to be electric! 💥

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