The New Zealand Cricket team won’t tighten its after-hours leash on players despite the ill-timed mishap that has ruled Doug Bracewell out of the first Test against England.
Pace bowler Bracewell will be replaced in the starting XI by Neil Wagner for the Test in Dunedin starting on Wednesday after cutting his right foot on Saturday morning.
The 22-year-old stood on glass as he was cleaning up at his Napier home in the aftermath of a party which had been the subject of noise complaints.
After escaping a sanction and apologising to teammates and neighbours, Bracewell was reminded of his off-field obligations by team manager Mike Sandle.
“We’ve told Doug that he needs to take responsibility for what happens around him and that he needs to do all he can to ensure his preparation for international cricket is not compromised,” Sandle said.
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson stressed Bracewell’s omission was for fitness reasons only as the incident wasn’t deemed serious.
He says management are constantly encouraging the players to make sensible decisions away from the team environment.
“We’ve got really good standards in terms of the expectations we have on our players,” Hesson said.
“They are also human and also spend a lot of time away from the group. The expectation is that what they do certainly doesn’t conflict or affect their preparation and we’re pretty strong on that.”
Captain Brendon McCullum says the incident has been blown out of proportion and that Bracewell was simply a victim of bad luck.
“His non-involvement in the one-day and T20 stuff had left him able to build himself up for this series and I know he was targeting it.”
Bracewell was ruled out early on Tuesday as he was unable to stand comfortably.
There is confidence he will be fit for the second Test starting in Wellington on Thursday next week.
However, he has taken just nine wickets in his previous six Tests at an average of more than 64 so may have left the door ajar.
Left-armer Wagner looked sharp in the New Zealand XI’s defeat of England in Queenstown last week and will relish playing on his home ground at University Oval.
A fourth bowling role will go to either left-arm spinner Bruce Martin or Ian Butler, the veteran seamer who was called to Dunedin on Monday on standby for Bracewell.
Butler hasn’t played a Test since 2004 although he was recalled for the Twenty20 series against England last month.