New Zealand calls up Kyle Jamieson as a replacement for Matt Henry in the 2023 World Cup following Henry’s hamstring injury during the game against South Africa on November 1 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.

During the match, Matt Henry had to leave the field midway through his sixth over, and James Neesham completed the over. The extent of Henry’s injury is pending confirmation from scan results. Kyle Jamieson is set to join the squad in Bangalore before New Zealand’s upcoming match against Pakistan on November 4 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead, cited the injuries to Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry as the reason for bringing in Kyle Jamieson, who had previously been designated as cover for Tim Southee. Stead explained, “The severity of Matt’s injury, combined with a short turnaround to Pakistan, meant we couldn’t risk being a bowler down for Saturday.”

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Stead also expressed hope for Matt Henry’s swift recovery, stating, “Matt’s been a world-class performer for us in ODI cricket for the past two World Cup cycles, so we’ve got our fingers crossed for the scan results later today.”

In the event that Matt Henry is unable to regain fitness, New Zealand plans to prepare Kyle Jamieson for the match against Pakistan. Stead mentioned, “Kyle’s on his way over as we speak, and we look forward to welcoming him back into the group. He’ll likely train with us on Friday with a mind to being available for Saturday’s game.”

Stead emphasized Kyle Jamieson’s readiness, noting that he had already trained with the team for two weeks earlier in the tournament and had also played a Plunket Shield match. New Zealand is currently fourth in the table with eight points and a net run rate of +0.484. After winning four consecutive matches, they are currently on a three-match losing streak.