Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee are to likely to be available for New Zealand in their second match of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. The Kiwis will lock horns against the Netherlands on October 9 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
Gary Stead, New Zealand head coach, stated that Ferguson will be available for the upcoming game as he has already started training. He also stated that Southee also got through the training well and will get a final x-ray ahead of the match.
“Lockie Ferguson got through training really well so providing he is scrubbed up okay this morning, he will be available for this next game. Tim Southee also got through the training really well. It was great to see him back at the bowling crease and also doing a little bit of fielding as well,” Stead was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
“He will just get a final x-ray done this morning and we will make a call after that but it is all looking good for selection from now on and into the rest of the tournament,” he added.
Stead further stated that skipper Kane Williamson is likely to be sidelined for the upcoming match. The 33-year-old had missed the Blackcaps’ opening game against England and is likely to make a comeback in their third game against Bangladesh on October 13 in Chennai.
“Kane’s also been progressing very well. I think the fielding is still the element for him that he’s just got to get a little bit higher and get a little more trust in his body. But he is progressing really well and we are pretty confident he will be playing the third match for us. We have got another training to get through today so we will finalise the team once we have got through that training. At this stage with Kane, we are looking like the third game is when he will start the tournament,” the coach added.