Glenn Phillips is set to miss out on New Zealand’s ongoing tour of Zimbabwe for the tri-nation series. The allrounder picked up a right groin injury during the Major League Cricket (MLC) Final on July 13 in Dallas. This means he will not be available to feature in any of the series’ T20Is as well as Test games following it.
Phillips returned to the league to represent Washington Freedom, whom he had played for in 2023. He reached Zimbabwe after the final, where he was assessed and consequently ruled out of the series. This is the second time this year that a groin injury has pushed him to the sidelines. Earlier, he returned home from the IPL after fielding for a few minutes and limping off the field in visible pain. With the current injury, however, he is expected to stay out of action for several weeks. A New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement read:
“Phillips suffered the injury during the Major League Cricket (MLC) final and was assessed on arrival in Zimbabwe where it was determined he would require a number of weeks to rehabilitate.”
For the white-ball series, Tim Robinson, who scored an unbeaten 75 in the first T20I against South Africa on Wednesday after being included late in the squad, has been named as the replacement for Phillips. Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell Hay, who, like Robinson, were called in as potential replacements for the players involved in the play-offs of the MLC, will return to New Zealand with Glenn Phillips.
He is the third Kiwi player to sit out the series due to injury, joining Ben Sears, who is recovering from a side strain, and Finn Allen, who also picked up an injury in the MLC.
“It’s obviously disappointing to lose someone of Glenn’s calibre,” Rob Walter, New Zealand’s head coach, said. “Much like Finn [Allen], we really feel for Glenn and that he misses out on this series.
“We know he was eager to get out on the field for the Blackcaps and unfortunately, he won’t be able to do that for this series. We know he’ll work hard to get himself back onto the park, and I look forward to when that happens.”
For now, New Zealand have not named Phillips’ replacement for the red-ball series against Zimbabwe, starting July 30. However, the board did confirm Ajaz Patel’s return in the Test series, which immensely boosts the side’s confidence. Patel has not played any international games since November last year, when he wreaked havoc with India’s batting lineup and helped New Zealand seal a 3-0 win over the home side. A knee injury had forced him to miss most of New Zealand’s domestic tournament games for Central Districts (CD) last year. However, he successfully marked his return in the Global Super League (GSL) and seems ready to play for the side in red-ball games.
New Zealand began the tri-series with a win against South Africa and hosts Zimbabwe. They will face South Africa once again on Tuesday, and a win in that game will confirm their place in the final.
