Tim Southee, a seasoned seamer, is certain to miss New Zealand’s 2023 World Cup opening match against England, which is due for October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The reason for Southee’s absence is a thumb injury he got during the fourth One-Day International against England at Lord’s that required surgery. Southee has traveled to India with the team, although it is still unclear whether he is fully fit.
The team’s expectations were further shattered when two important players were absent for the pivotal opener because usual skipper Kane Williamson is still recovering from a knee injury.
The New Zealand team’s head coach, Gary Stead, voiced cautious hope on Tim Southee availability for the upcoming match, saying,
Tim joined the team a few days ago, I believe. He ate a very small bowl of food yesterday at the ground level. Though he’s still just getting over his thumb’s wound, things seem promising. According to Sportskeeda, “I’m hoping he’ll be available for selection in the next game.
Tim Southee, who has taken 34 wickets in 18 games at an excellent average of 25.11, is the fourth-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in World Cups. Southee acknowledged the ongoing difficulties caused by his thumb injury when he got to Ahmedabad, saying,
It’s still a little uncomfortable around the area where the plate is because there is obviously some scarring and some numbness. So I suppose all that remains is for you to get used to that. and restarting the game of bowling. Since I haven’t played much bowling lately, I need to focus on maintaining my thumb in addition to getting my loads back up. It was a bit of a race against time to get here, but we made it, and this location is fantastic. It’s a fantastic location for cricket, even without the World Cup.
The last two World Cup finalists, New Zealand, will have a difficult start to their campaign without two of their key players. Kiwi fans hold their breath, hoping for Southee’s prompt return to the lineup as everyone waits for an update on his recuperation.
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