New Zealand have been rocked again ahead of their Test cricket series against South Africa after pace bowler Tim Southee was forced to pull out with a thumb injury.
Southee will be sidelined for up to two months after falling awkwardly in the field during Northern Districts’ Plunket Shield match against Wellington this week.
New Zealand team physiotherapist Paul Close said scans showed ligaments in Southee’s thumb had fully ruptured and retracted.
He will undergo surgery and the recovery period is estimated at six to eight weeks.
Captain Brendon McCullum said the 24-year-old’s absence would be keenly felt.
“Tim’s been our No.1 bowler in Test cricket for the last sort of while and also the one-dayers,” he said.
“He’s a real leader of the attack, even at a young age. So it’s going to be a huge loss.
“Our thoughts are with him because I know he had a keen eye on this series, to test himself out against some of the world’s best Test bowlers – (Morne) Morkel and (Dale) Steyn and the like.”
Southee’s absence further weakens New Zealand’s hopes ahead of the series against the world’s top-ranked Test nation.
They are already without injured veteran spinner Daniel Vettori, former skipper Ross Taylor, arguably the Black Caps’ best batsman who pulled out after being demoted as captain, and unavailable middle order batsman Jesse Ryder.
New Zealand are yet to name a replacement for Southee, who has been in superb recent form and was reportedly being considered as the Black Caps vice-captain.
Southee took 12 wickets at an average under 14 during the recent drawn Test series against Sri Lanka, including 8-120 in the second Test win at Colombo.
He had been excused from the three-match Twenty20 series starting on Friday due to the imminent arrival of his first child.
Meanwhile, South Africa seam bowler Vernon Philander is in doubt for the first of two Tests beginning in Cape Town on January 2.
Philander, who was destructive on the Proteas’ tour to New Zealand this year, injured his hamstring in a first class match and scans suggest a recovery period of 10-14 days.
He tweeted on Friday he was confident of being fit.