Follow Us on Google News
New Zealand’s fast bowler Ben Sears has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after suffering a hamstring injury.
The 25-year-old experienced discomfort in his left hamstring during the BLACKCAPS’ first training session in Karachi on Wednesday. Subsequent scans revealed a minor tear, requiring a rehabilitation period of at least two weeks.
As a result of this recovery timeline, Sears is expected to miss the majority of New Zealand’s Group A matches, with a potential return only in their final match against India in Dubai.
Given the short nature of the tournament, New Zealand has decided to make a change to their squad, officially ruling Sears out of the tournament.
Otago Volts bowler Jacob Duffy will replace Sears in the Champions Trophy squad.
Duffy, already part of New Zealand’s team for the ongoing ODI Tri-Series against Pakistan and South Africa, is fully prepared and acclimatized to the conditions in Karachi.
BLACKCAPS head coach Gary Stead expressed his disappointment over Sears’ untimely injury, particularly given that the Champions Trophy would have marked his first major ICC tournament appearance.
“We’re all really feeling for Ben,” said Stead. “It’s always tough being ruled out of a major event at such a late stage, and it’s especially tough in Ben’s case given it would have been his first major ICC event.”
“The time frames for Ben to be fit to play again meant he would likely miss the majority of the group stage, and given the short nature of the tournament, we felt it was appropriate to bring in a player who is fully fit and ready to go.”
