Kiwi’s all-rounder Mitchell Santner has tested Covid-19 Positive while Black Caps were due to fly out of home on Sunday, but Santner, who was to lead New Zealand in the shortest format of the series will remain at home.
New Zealand has suffered a gasp ahead of their white-ball series against Ireland with news that kiwi’s all-rounder Mitchell Santner has tested Covid-19 positive.
Black Caps was due to fly out of home on Sunday, but Santner, who was to lead New Zealand during the T20I part of the series will remain at home in front of three T20Is and three ODIs against Ireland later this month.
Kiwi’s head coach for the Ireland series Shane Jurgensen said Santner’s availability for the six matches against Ireland will not be determined until he recovers from Covid and arrives in Dublin.
“Covid has been a challenge and will continue to be in the future and we will adapt accordingly, contingencies are always in place,”
ICC quoted Jurgensen as saying.
“He’s feeling OK and the priority will be getting him into camp with us hopefully later in the week to assess where he’s at and when he may be ready to play. We’ve got 11 games across the three tours and another tour to follow against the West Indies in August which Mitch will be involved with so we certainly won’t be looking to rush him,”
he added.
Santner was appointed as the skipper of the T20I component of the series against Ireland, while fellow veteran Tom Latham will lead the Black Caps during the three ODIs.
“It’s a place we don’t tour very often, and it’s been on the radar for a while,”
leg-spinner Ish Sodhi said before departure at the Auckland airport.
“Really, excited to get over there and see what cricket’s like there. I’ve been there a couple of times for some brief stints, but for an extended period it’s going to be enjoyable.”
New Zealand ODI squad: Tom Latham, (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Dane Cleaver, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillip, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, and Will Young.
New Zealand T20 squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Philips, Michael Rippon, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, and Blair Tickner.