Wellington: New Zealand captain Tim Southee has not ruled out the possibility of fielding the retired Neil Wagner in the second and final Test against Australia at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
An injury to fast-bowler Will O’Rourke in his hamstring resulted in him leaving the field on the third day of the first Test, though he came out to bat in the fourth innings at Wellington, where New Zealand lost the match by 172 runs.
Wagner had officially retired from international cricket just days before the start of the first Test after being told he wouldn’t be picked in the squad, but briefly came on to the field as a substitute fielder and received warm applause from the crowd at Basin Reserve.
“We haven’t had a lot of discussions as yet. We’ll see how Will scrubs up. The physio hasn’t sort of put a timeframe on it or how bad it is. We’ll just wait and see how Will goes over the next couple of days. I’m sure there’ll be an update in the next 24 hours.
“We obviously have to go on and make a decision on who comes in and what role we sort of see that playing out in Christchurch. (Wagner’s) had a great reception here over the last week where he got a couple of moments on the field and obviously he’s been a fan favourite for a long time,” said Southee after the match.
But Southee did rule out the chance of an inclusion to left-arm fast-bowler Trent Boult, who last played a Test match in June 2022. “I don’t think his loading is up to it on the back of T20,” he added.
Southee also admitted that New Zealand had misjudged the conditions at Wellington, where they sidelined left-arm spin all-rounder Mitchell Santner in favour of getting four-man fast-bowling attack. IANS
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