New Zealand have on Tuesday confirmed that pacer Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 due to a foot injury.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Kyle Jamieson will now replace in the squad as the Black Caps get ready for the tournament opener against hosts Pakistan on Wednesday in Karachi.
A New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement said that Jamieson will be flying to Pakistan on Tuesday. It is to be seen whether he will be available to play against Pakistan at the National Stadium.
“Ferguson felt some pain in his right foot after bowling a spell in the informal warm-up match against Afghanistan in Karachi on Sunday and an initial medical assessment indicated he would not be fit enough to take part in the entire tournament,” NZC said in its official release.
“Given the proximity to the start of the Champions Trophy and the short nature of the tournament, the decision was made to send Ferguson home to begin rehabilitation,” it added.
Ferguson, who has been picked up by Punjab Kings for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, also didn’t feature in the recent Tri-Series against Pakistan and South Africa. In the unofficial practice game against Afghanistan which was played on Sunday, Ferguson bowled three overs and conceded 17 runs.
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Speaking of the speedster’s absence, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said,
“We’re really disappointed for Lockie. He is a key part of the bowling group and brings a lot of major tournament experience and we know how much he was looking forward to representing New Zealand at another major event. We wish him well for his recovery and hope he is back firing soon,” he said.
Ferguson’s exit from the tournament is a huge blow for the Black Caps as they have already lost Ben Sears to a hamstring injury.
Jamieson is coming back into the ODI team after a long injury layoff due to a stress fracture in his back that saw him ruled out of 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
“Kyle brings plenty of pace and extra bounce which will suit the conditions here in Pakistan. We’ve been pleased with the progress he’s made since returning and we feel his loading over the past few weeks and his successful spells in the recent Ford Trophy match mean he will be good to go if required in the tournament,” Stead said about the 30-year-old.
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