Cricket-New Zealand's Sears out with hamstring injury, Ravindra back at training (updated)

Ravindra Energy

14/02/2025 07:34

(Rewrites after Ben Sears injury)
       Feb 14 (Reuters) - A hamstring tear has forced out fast
bowler Ben Sears from this month's Champions Trophy, New Zealand
Cricket (NZC) said on Friday, while all-rounder Rachin Ravindra
has eased back into training after being struck in the face by
the ball in a fielding mishap.
    Jacob Duffy, who is already with the team as part of the
squad for the ongoing One-Day International (ODI) tri-series in
Pakistan, will replace Sears in the Champions Trophy, the NZC
said in a statement.
    "Sears felt some pain in his left hamstring at the team’s
first training in Karachi on Wednesday and a subsequent scan
revealed a minor tear that would require at least two weeks’
rehabilitation," the statement added.
    Ravindra, who lost sight of the ball in the floodlights when
attempting a catch and was hit in the forehead during a match
against Pakistan in Lahore last Saturday, still has concussion
protocols to pass before returning to the field, coach Gary
Stead said.
    Though Ravindra passed his first Head Injury Assessment
(HIA) immediately after the blow, Stead revealed the 25-year-old
had suffered headaches in the following days and would need to
tick off further HIA's to be passed fit.
    He will therefore play no part in the ODI tri-series final
against Pakistan in Karachi later on Friday and appears unlikely
to be selected for the Champions Trophy opener against the hosts
next Wednesday in the same city.
    "He's had a headache for a few days but that's, I guess,
subsiding which is really good news," Stead said in Karachi,
declining to put a time-line on Ravindra's return.
    "He had a few balls tonight for the first time, which is
good, but there's still a few more steps for him to go through
before he would be considered fit to play."
    There was better news for pace bowler Lockie Ferguson, who
Stead expected to return to action for Sunday's Champions Trophy
warmup against Afghanistan in Karachi, if not for the tri-series
final.
    Ferguson suffered a hamstring strain while playing in the
United Arab Emirates' ILT20 competition.
    Having played plenty of cricket in Pakistan and with star
batsman Kane Williamson firing on all cylinders, New Zealand
will head into the rebooted Champions Trophy hopeful of winning
their second title and first since the 2000 tournament in Kenya.

 (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Michael
Perry)
 ((ian.ransom@thomsonreuters.com; Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/MyRansomNotes;
 +61 3 9286 1447;))