Cricket World Cup Squad in Doubt as Tim Southee Suffers Thumb Injury
New Zealand’s Tim Southee sustains a dislocated and fractured right thumb during an England ODI match. Multiple injuries afflict New Zealand’s cordon, leaving their World Cup squad in doubt.
In a heartbreaking turn of events during the fourth ODI match against England at Lord’s, New Zealand’s Tim Southee has dislocated and fractured a bone in his right thumb while attempting to take a crucial catch. The incident occurred on Friday when Southee tried to grab a catch off Joe Root, who was on 8 runs at the time. Ben Lister delivered the fateful ball during the 14th over, leading to Southee signaling his discomfort before leaving the field with the assistance of the touring medical team.
Unfortunately, Southee did not return to the field for the remainder of England’s innings. Trent Boult stepped in as a substitute fielder. Following his exit, he underwent scans to assess the extent of the injury.
A timeline for Tim Southee’s recovery will be established on Saturday after further assessment. This injury comes at a critical time for New Zealand, as they are just 20 days away from beginning their World Cup campaign against England in Ahmedabad, marking Southee’s fourth ODI World Cup appearance.
In an astonishing sequence of events, Southee’s injury was the third in New Zealand’s fielding cordon during the match. Daryl Mitchell dislocated his ring finger while taking a low catch to dismiss Jonny Bairstow, and Finn Allen, who replaced Mitchell, dislocated the little finger on his right hand while giving Joe Root a life on 7 runs. Root was eventually bowled by Rachin Ravindra for 29, unable to capitalize on his luck. Fortunately, Allen was later cleared of any further damage to his finger.
Ben Lister, who bowled the delivery that caused Southee’s injury, also suffered during the match. He hobbled off with a hamstring issue after bowling six overs. Neither Finn Allen nor Ben Lister is part of the New Zealand World Cup squad.
Despite the setbacks, Daryl Mitchell made a valiant return to the field and contributed seven overs of medium pace. He finished with impressive figures of 2 for 40, dismissing Jos Buttler for 36 and snaring David Willey in the final over as England posted a total of 311 runs from their allotted 50 overs.
The cricketing world now waits anxiously for the outcome of Tim Southee’s assessment, as New Zealand hopes to keep their World Cup squad intact for the upcoming tournament.
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