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Key Points

New Zealand captain Tom Latham has been ruled out of the second Test against Zimbabwe due to his shoulder injury. Mitchell Santner will continue leading the side after their first Test victory. The Black Caps also lose Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith to injuries, while Bevon Jacobs joins as cover. Coach Rob Walter expressed disappointment over Latham’s absence ahead of the series decider.

Key Points: NZ Captain Tom Latham Ruled Out of Zimbabwe Test Series Decider

  • Latham fails fitness test after shoulder rehab setback
  • Santner retains captaincy after first Test win
  • Pacer O’Rourke and all-rounder Smith also injured
  • Uncapped Bevon Jacobs added as batting cover
2 min read

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham ruled out of series decider against Zimbabwe due to shoulder injury

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham misses Zimbabwe Test decider with shoulder injury as Santner continues to lead, with uncapped Bevon Jacobs called up.

"It's hugely disappointing to lose Tom again... He's extremely gutted he won't be able to take the park. – Rob Walter"

Bulawayo, August 7

New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham has made himself unavailable for the second and final Test of the series against Zimbabwe due to a shoulder injury, as per the ICC.

Latham, who was ruled out of the first Test owing to a left shoulder injury, had been undergoing rehabilitation but has been unable to recover in time for the two-Test series decider.

In his stead, Mitchell Santner will continue to lead the side, having captained the Black Caps in the opener against the Chevrons.

The tourists will also be without the services of pacer Will O'Rourke and all-rounder Nathan Smith, both of whom featured in the first Test but have been ruled out injured in the lead-up to the second.

"It's hugely disappointing to lose Tom again. He's been working hard and had been tracking well towards the second test, but unfortunately, today he couldn't pass his fitness tests. He's extremely gutted he won't be able to take the park, and we're really feeling for him," New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said, as quoted by ICC.

Meanwhile, uncapped batter Bevon Jacobs has been added to the Test squad as fielding and batting cover. Jacobs had made his T20I debut for New Zealand last month during the tri-series against the Proteas and Zimbabwe.

"With Tom being ruled out on the eve of the match, we needed to quickly bring in an extra pair of hands to provide fielding and batting cover. Thankfully, Bevon had been playing in Johannesburg and was able to make the short trip to Bulawayo," Walter added.

New Zealand are 1-0 up in the series after securing an emphatic nine-wicket win in the first Test.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As an Indian cricket fan, I'm always watching other teams' performances with interest. New Zealand's bench strength will be tested here - Santner did well in first Test but Zimbabwe might surprise them at home!
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Ananya R
So many injuries in cricket these days! Maybe ICC should look at reducing the schedule? Players need proper rest between matches. #PlayerWelfare
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Vikram M
Interesting to see Bevon Jacobs getting a call-up. New Zealand always gives chances to new players - something BCCI could learn from. Our domestic players rarely get opportunities like this.
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Michael C
The scheduling is too tight. Players are getting injured left and right. ICC needs to address this before we start losing more star players to fatigue-related injuries.
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Priya S
Zimbabwe has a golden opportunity here! With so many NZ players injured, they might actually level the series. Would be great for Test cricket if smaller teams start performing better.

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