New Zealand opener Finn Allen has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I Tri-Series in Zimbabwe after sustaining a foot injury while playing for the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket (MLC). The update was confirmed by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Wednesday, just before the squad’s departure to Harare.
Allen’s last appearance came in the Unicorns’ final league-stage game against the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Lauderhill on 6 July, where he was dismissed for just 4 in the opening over while chasing 244. Despite missing the latter part of the tournament, Allen finished as the second-highest run-scorer for the Unicorns with 333 runs in nine matches, including a blistering 151-run knock against Washington Freedom in the season opener in Oakland.
NZC to name Allen’s replacement
In an official statement, NZC confirmed that Allen will return home for further medical assessments, and the timeline for his recovery will be determined following specialist consultations. A replacement for the tri-series squad is expected to be announced shortly. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Unicorns have opted not to name a replacement in their squad.
“Allen’s recovery timeline will be determined once he has returned to New Zealand and received further specialist consultations. A replacement player will be named in due course.” the NZC statement said, adding that an update on a replacement would follow in due course.
Either Mitch Hay or Tim Robinson could be considered as a potential replacement for Allen in the squad.
The Black Caps are set to depart for Zimbabwe on Wednesday and is expected to land in Harare on Thursday, ahead of their opening T20I fixture against South Africa on 16 July. After the tri-series, New Zealand will also play a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
New Zealand Men’s T20I Squad: Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
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