New Zealand have been forced into a late pace reshuffle before their five-match ODI series against West Indies after Ben Sears was ruled out with an ankle injury.
The 28-year-old quick had been managing discomfort since New Zealand’s four-day Test against Ireland in May, but the issue flared again on the final day of the third Test against England at Trent Bridge. ICC confirmed New Zealand have sent Sears home for further assessment and treatment.
Lister call gives Santner a different option
Ben Lister has been drafted into the 16-man squad and is expected to link up with Mitchell Santner’s group in Guyana. The left-armer made his ODI debut against Pakistan in Karachi in 2023 and has 17 international wickets across formats, giving New Zealand a point-of-difference option rather than a straight right-arm replacement.
The timing matters. New Zealand had already named a squad missing Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke through workload management, while Blair Tickner is unavailable after ankle surgery. That leaves Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Kristian Clarke, Matt Fisher and Lister carrying the seam load.
ReadCricket previously covered Fisher’s call-up as part of New Zealand’s wider West Indies planning, but Sears’ withdrawal changes the balance again. The opening ODI is scheduled for July 11 in Guyana, followed by two more matches at the same venue before the series moves to Barbados on July 19 and July 21.
For Santner, this is no longer just a rotation-heavy tour. It is an early stress test of New Zealand’s white-ball depth one year out from the next ODI World Cup cycle.
Sources: ICC; related ReadCricket context: Fisher call-up gives New Zealand West Indies tour fresh pace edge.
