New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner ruled out of the second test due to a fractured toe.
New Zealand vs Pakistan: The Kiwi pacer Neil Wagner has been ruled out of the second test against Pakistan due to fractured tow. The first game hero, Wagner bowled most of his overs with a broken toe and played a key role in winning the game.
Neil Wagner who is ranked third in the list of best Test bowlers sustained a toe injury while batting however, he took pain-killers to complete the whole game. He even bowled his over after taking injections which played a crucial role in New Zealand’s win over Pakistan.
Wagner took 4 crucial wickets in the match, including the one of Fawad Alam who looked solid as he completed his century. At a point it looked like the match will go on to draw, however, Neil Wagner’s brilliance with bowling took the match from Pakistan’s hand and avoided a draw.
Neil will need five or six weeks to recover:
“The injections he was getting were wearing off each time so he was getting less and less (pain-free) time and we can’t have him going through that again for this Test match,” coach Gary Stead said as the team arrived in Christchurch ahead of Sunday’s second Test.
“We all know what he can bring to the team, Everyone knows he plays with his heart and he just put up how hard he is. He has been valuable for New Zealand cricket over the years and we’ll surely miss him.”
“Right now for us, the most important thing is to act sensibly about the situation and not go with the flow. Neil probably needs a couple of weeks to recover from the fractures. Five to six weeks will work for him.”
The New Zealand’s coach Gary Stead did not talk much about the replacement but it seems he would be considering a like-for-like replacement for Neil Wagner. Another pacer will be considered before the all-rounder Daryl Mitchell, the 12th man who took the field when Wagner was getting pain-killers.
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