Both South Africa and New Zealand have been forced to make late changes to their squads for the upcoming T20 World Cup due to injuries, impacting their preparations for the tournament.
South Africa's Setbacks
South Africa has been hit particularly hard, with two players ruled out of the tournament and a key player's participation in doubt. Batsmen Tony de Zorzi and Donovan Ferreira have been sidelined due to injuries sustained during domestic competitions. De Zorzi is still recovering from a right hamstring muscle tear he suffered during the ODI series against India last month. Ferreira, meanwhile, fractured his left clavicle during a domestic T20 game earlier this month.
To fill the gaps left by De Zorzi and Ferreira, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs have been called up to the squad. These replacements come after the original squad announcement had raised eyebrows due to their omission.
Adding to South Africa's woes, experienced batsman David Miller is also facing a race against time to be fit for the World Cup. Miller suffered an adductor muscle injury while playing in South Africa's domestic T20 competition. He will miss the three-match T20I series against the West Indies, and his availability for the World Cup is subject to the outcome of a fitness test. Rubin Hermann will replace Miller in the squad for the West Indies series.
Former South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris has expressed concerns about the injuries, highlighting the tight schedule and high intensity of matches. He noted that players were aware of the risks involved, but the nature of the schedule makes it difficult to avoid injuries. Dewald Brevis also suffered a finger injury during his match-winning innings against Sunrisers Eastern Cape on January 21. Lungi Ngidi was also limited to just two overs for Pretoria Capitals in the Qualifier against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
South Africa's updated T20 World Cup squad includes Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller (subject to fitness test), Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, and Tristan Stubbs. The team is placed in Group D and will begin their World Cup campaign against Canada on February 9. They will also face Afghanistan, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates in their pool.
New Zealand's Loss
New Zealand has also suffered an injury blow, with Adam Milne ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to a torn left hamstring. Milne sustained the injury while bowling in the SA20 competition. Kyle Jamieson, who was initially named as a travelling reserve, will replace Milne in the squad. Jamieson is currently with the New Zealand white-ball squad touring India.
"We're all gutted for Adam," said New Zealand coach Rob Walter. "He'd worked so hard to get himself ready for the tournament and was looking back to his best in his eight games for the Eastern Cape Sunrisers. It's unfortunate timing for Adam, and we wish him a speedy recovery."
Earlier this month, concerns were raised about Lockie Ferguson's fitness after he sustained a calf injury while playing in the ILT20. All-rounder Michael Bracewell injured his calf while fielding in the third ODI against India on Sunday.
New Zealand's T20 World Cup squad includes Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, and Ish Sodhi.
