Matt Henry, Tim Seifert ruled out of Australia T20Is with injuries

New Zealand's already injury-riddled squad has encountered more setbacks as Matt Henry and Tim Seifert have been of the three-match T20I series against Australia. Henry has faced hip soreness post the South Africa series and requires a brief period of rest and strengthening to gear up for the forthcoming Test series against Australia. Meanwhile, Seifert's torn abductor during Northern Districts' training has ruled him out.

To fill the void, Wellington's pace bowler Ben Sears and Central Districts' batter Will Young have been drafted as replacements. Gary Stead, the Black Caps coach, remained optimistic about Henry and Seifert's speedy recovery, affirming Sears and Young as capable stand-ins. Stead underlined confidence in the replacements, and ensured the team's depth and resilience ahead of challenging fixtures.

“Matt’s understandably disappointed, but a break for the T20s will ensure he’s fully fit and ready to go for the Tests against Australia later this month. We’re gutted for Tim who has been a strong performer over recent series and is an important part of the squad. We’re hopeful he’ll make a swift recovery ahead of an important period of T20I cricket for the team,” Stead said as quoted by ICC’s official website.

“Ben showed in his recent performances against Pakistan that he is a talented T20 bowler capable of influencing games of cricket for New Zealand. Will has been a regular in the environment across formats for some time now and his recent performances for the Central Stags in the Super Smash show he his more than capable to contribute at this level,” he added.

The three matches are set to be played 

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New Zealand squad for Australia T20Is:

Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult (for games 2 & 3), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (for game 1), Will Young

New Zealand vs Australia T20I series schedule:

1st T20I, February 21, Sky Stadium, Wellington

2nd T20I, February 23, Eden Park, Auckland

3rd T20I, February 25, Eden Park, Auckland