New Zealand pacer Will O'Rourke is set to be on the sidelines for at least three months with a back stress fracture, following the pacer experiencing stiffness during the first Test against Zimbabwe last month. O'Rourke subsequently was ruled out of the second Test and returned home for further assessment after the scans revealed the fracture, which will require the 24-year-old pacer to get back to full fitness with strength and conditioning for three months, as confirmed by the head coach, Rob Walter.
“We’re really feeling for Will at the moment and wishing him speedy recovery,” he said. “He’s had such an impressive start to his career and so naturally it is disappointing when an injury like this comes along, but he’s a resilient guy and determined to put the work in and come back stronger.”
Apart from O'Rourke, Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips have also been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against Australia in the first week of October. Allen underwent surgery on his right foot and has been ruled out for three months, while Phillips, who suffered a groin injury during the Major League Cricket (MLC) and didn't take any part on the Zimbabwe tour, hasn't recovered as well and will be reassessed in a month.
Skipper Mitchell Santner, who suffered a groin injury during the Hundred, returned home and has decided to undergo abdominal surgery. Santner will be touch-and-go for the Australia series, with the recovery period set to be around a month.
“Mitch is a world-class player and a crucial part of our T20 side from a skills and leadership point of view,” Walter said of the all-rounder. “With that in mind, we expect to name him in our squad when we announce it in a couple of weeks' time, and from there we can assess how his rest and rehabilitation progresses following surgery, before making a call on the eve of the series.
“It’s disappointing to lose the services of Glenn and Finn who have played important batting roles in our T20 set up in recent times. “Like in Zimbabwe, their unavailability will present opportunities for others to put their hands up in what’s going to be a hugely exciting and important series against Australia," he further added.
New Zealand are scheduled to host Australia, England and the West Indies in a blockbuster white-ball season at home at the start of the summer in October-November before the Test window gets underway in December.
