Christchurch: New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies after suffering a broken finger, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced on Tuesday.
The five-match series is set to begin on Wednesday at Eden Park in Auckland.
“Seifert retired hurt after being struck on the finger while batting for Northern Districts in Monday’s Ford Trophy match against Wellington Firebirds. An x-ray later confirmed a fracture to his right index finger,” NZC said in a statement.
Head coach Rob Walter expressed disappointment over Seifert’s untimely injury.
“We’re all feeling for Tim. He’s an important part of our T20 setup, both for his explosive batting at the top and his wicketkeeping. He’ll definitely be missed in this series.
He had been showing great form in recent T20s, and it’s unfortunate this setback has come just as we continue our preparations for a major tournament. We’re hopeful he’ll recover quickly and return soon,” Walter said.
Mitch Hay has been called up as Seifert’s replacement and joined the squad on Monday night.
Since debuting against Sri Lanka in Dambulla last November, Hay has played 11 T20 internationals and holds the world record for the most dismissals (six) in a single T20I innings.
Walter backed Hay to step up seamlessly.
“Mitch has already shown he’s a quality wicketkeeper-batter capable of performing at this level. We’re fortunate to have such depth in the T20 format, and he’s a great option to have in the squad.”
