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On Friday, February 14, New Zealand Cricket suffered a major setback with fast bowler Ben Sears sustaining an injury. The Black Caps confirmed that the hamstring injury has ruled out pacer Ben Sears from the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to commence from February 19 in Pakistan.
Notably, Sears felt some pain in his left hamstring at the team’s first training in Karachi on Wednesday, February 12. After subsequent scans it was revealed that the pacer has sustained minor tear that would require upto two weeks of rehabilitation, resulting him to be available likely for the final group stage match, which is scheduled for March 2 against India.
New Zealand call in Jacob Duffy as Ben Sears replacement
Seeing this, the New Zealand Cricket confirmed Ben Sears to miss the upcoming edition of the ICC tournament, with Otago Volts bowler Jacob Duffy replacing him. Speaking ahead of the tri-nation series final against Pakistan, head coach Gary Stead called it a bit “disappointing”. “We’re all really feeling for Ben. It’s always tough being ruled out of a major event at such a late stage, and it’s especially tough in Ben’s case given it would have been his first major ICC event,” he said.
“The timeframes for Ben to be fit to play again meant he would likely miss the majority of the group stage, and given the short nature of the tournament, we felt it was appropriate to bring in a player who is fully fit and ready to go,” he added, while confirming Duffy will be a strong choice.
The Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand are placed in Group A for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, alongside hosts Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. The Black Caps will begin their tournament against Pakistan on February 19, followed by a match each against Bangladesh (February 24) and India (March 2) in Rawalpindi and Dubai respectively.
New Zealand’s squad for ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025
Mitchell Santner (capt), Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Will O'Rourke, Jacob Duffy.
