WINDIES TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND, 2017-18

Worker to replace Southee for Wellington Test

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

Worker is yet to make his Test debut. © Getty

George Worker has replaced Tim Southee in the New Zealand squad for the first Test against Windies starting on Friday (December 1). Southee will miss the clash as he waits for the birth of his first child.

New Zealand had already added Lockie Ferguson as cover for Southee and he will stay with the squad. The think-tank will now have to decide who they want as Trent Boult and Neil Wagner's partner at the Basin Reserve. Ferguson will battle against Matt Henry for a spot in the playing XI.

"Matt Henry did well in the last Test match he played against South Africa and Lockie is probably bowling as well as he ever has so it certainly provides us with some nice options," New Zealand Coach Mike Hesson said.

"It just depends what we want to go with - whether we want to go with extra pace (in Ferguson) or whether we think it's going to nip around about and we want someone with Matt's control."

Worker, the spinning allrounder, has played four One-Day Internationals, two Twenty20 Internationals and is yet to make his Test debut. He scored a century in the first-class game against Canterbury earlier this month and followed it up with a half-century against Otago. He also impressed in the New Zealand A tour of India last month.

© Cricbuzz

TAGS

RELATED STORIES