Vaibhav Tripathi
Veteran New Zealand pacer Tim Southee is scheduled to undergo surgery on his injured thumb, which he broke and dislocated during the fourth ODI against England last weekend. New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead, believes that Southee would recover in time ahead of their opening World Cup game versus England.
“We are keeping our hopes high for Tim’s surgery. The procedure will involve the insertion of pins or screws into his right thumb. If the surgery is successful, we will focus on ensuring Tim can manage the pain and handle the wound when he resumes training and playing. Our first World Cup match against England is scheduled for Thursday, October 5 in Ahmedabad, so that’s the logical target for his return,” Stead stated, according to New Zealand Cricket.
Southee sustained the thumb injury while attempting a catch during the series against England, which ended with New Zealand losing 3-1 in a streak of three consecutive defeats. A decision regarding his availability for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India, commencing on October 5, will be made early next week, pending the results of the surgery.