'We are gutted for him' - Gary Stead opens up as Matt Henry gets ruled out of remainder of World Cup 2023

A major setback has hit New Zealand as Matt Henry has been sidelined for the rest of the 2023 World Cup due to a torn right hamstring. This injury occurred during the match against South Africa in Pune, and subsequent MRI scans confirmed a grade two tear, necessitating a recovery period of two to four weeks.

Kiwi coach Gary Stead expressed his disappointment, saying, "We are gutted for him. Matt has been a crucial part of our One Day squad for a long time and to see him ruled out as we approach the business end of this tournament is immensely disappointing" he added  

New Zealand's World Cup journey has been marred by injuries ever since their squad was announced in September. Despite ongoing recoveries from injuries like ACL and thumb fractures, Williamson and Southee were included in the touring group. Unfortunately, another blow came when Matt Henry, who had been making valuable contributions to the World Cup, joined the list of injured players. Addressing the importance of Henry, Stead remarked, 

“He’s consistently been ranked in the ICC top ten ODI bowlers for the past for the past few years which is testament to his class and skills. Moreover, Matt’s a great team man and we are all going to miss his personality and experience.”

Kyle Jamieson has been roped in to fill in Matt Henry’s absence 

As a response to the recent setbacks, New Zealand has drafted Kyle Jamieson into the squad as a replacement. Jamieson is slated to join the team in Bengaluru on Thursday, in anticipation of the upcoming match against Pakistan on Saturday. Coach Stead expressed confidence in Jamieson's readiness to return to India and mentioned that he would engage in training with the team on Friday as they anticipate his swift adaptation and contributions.

"Kyle's on his way over as we speak and we look forward to welcoming him back into the group. He'll likely train with us on Friday with a mind to being available for Saturday's game. Kyle was able to train for two full weeks with us earlier in the tournament and has since played a Plunket Shield match - so we're confident he'll be able to hit the ground running," said Stead.