NZC (New Zealand Cricket) recently came forward and announced that they will be adding 32-year-old pacer Blair Tickner to their ODI squad to face England after an injury ruled out Kyle Jamieson. It is worth noting that a side strain injury ruled out Jamieson, and the Black Caps will hope that Tickner will be able to replace the pacer in the role.
Notably, New Zealand gained the lead in the ODI series after an all-round performance against England in the first ODI. The two sides took on each other at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on October 26. Limiting England to a total of 223 runs, New Zealand chased down the target and won the game by four wickets.
Speaking of Tickner, the 32-year-old has played a total of 13 ODIs in his career so far, where he has managed to take 16 wickets to his name, maintaining an economy of 6.53.
Rob Walter gave his take on Tickner’s inclusion
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter took centre stage and talked about the inclusion of Blair Tickner in the squad. He branded the pacer as an experienced campaigner and backed him to do well in the series.
"Blair's an experienced campaigner and no stranger to international cricket. He bowls a heavy ball from a decent height with plenty of energy and aggression. In that respect he can fill a similar role to what Kyle would normally perform,” Rob Walter was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Furthermore, the head coach also talked about the Black Caps’ performance in the first ODI of the series. "It was a good start to the series, and I thought the bowlers set the tone superbly. For Zak Foulkes to claim 4-41 in his first bowl in ODI cricket, including the big wickets of Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell, showed the level of talent and composure he possesses,” Walter said.
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