Tom Latham ruled out of India T20I series with broken finger

New Zealand batsman Tom Latham recently became the newest Test captain of his team when he led the Black Caps against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in the third match of the series. Australia not only routed the Kiwis 3-0 in the series winning the SCG Test, but Latham is now looking at at least a month out of cricket due to an injury he sustained during the match.

Latham was named skipper after regular captain Kane Williamson was ruled out of the game due to illness along with Tim Southee and Trent Boult, who had fractured his right hand in the previous Test match. He didn’t have a good series with only two major scores of 49 and 50 along with three one-digit scores. Now it has been revealed that Latham got hit on his finger during the third Test and will miss the T20I series against India.

Tom Latham to miss the T20I series against India after fracturing a finger

Latham sustained a fracture to a finger on his right hand and is looking at a month out of the game, meaning that he will not participate in the upcoming T20I series at home against the visiting Indian team. Latham will target a return for the one-day series against India which begins in Hamilton on February 5.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in a statement said that an X-ray has confirmed a fracture to his right pinky finger and that he will require approximately four weeks of rehabilitation. “Latham will target a return to fitness in time to be available for the upcoming one-day series against India in early February,” the statement read.

Latham joins Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, and Matt Henry in the list of New Zealand players injured during this Test series against Australia. “Lockie Ferguson has returned to running and performing bowling drills. He’ll continue to progress over the next couple of weeks with the potential to return to domestic cricket early next month. Trent has been resting his broken right hand and will return to bowling later this week.

He’ll be touch-and-go to be available for the India T20 series later this month and we’ll continue to monitor him closely over the next few weeks,” NZ coach Gary Stead was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Meanwhile, Henry’s broken left thumb will take a month to fully heal. Williamson, Nicholls, and Santner, who had all been struck with Influenza A are regaining their fitness and health and will be monitored thoroughly. Kiwis will name their T20I squad for series against India later next week.

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