Photo Credit: New Zealand Cricket
Northern Districts paceman Neil Wagner has been called up to the BLACKCAPS Test squad for Bangladesh to replace the injured Matt Henry.
Henry has been recovering in New Zealand after tearing his right hamstring mid-way through the ICC Cricket World Cup in India.
Following further scans and assessments this week, it was deemed the injury had not sufficiently healed to have him ready and available for Test match cricket.
With the first of two Tests starting in less than two weeks on November 28, the decision was made to call up 63-Test BLACKCAP Wagner.
Wagner returned to the Plunket Shield for Northern Districts in Dunedin this week after overcoming a back-injury which saw him miss rounds two and three of the competition.
BLACKCAPS selector Sam Wells said they were lucky to have a player of Wagner’s calibre to call on.
“It’ll be great to have Neil’s skill and experience on the tour of Bangladesh,” he said.
“His record speaks for itself and we all know what a great competitor he is.
“He’s played plenty of cricket in the sub-continent and I know he’s really excited by the challenge ahead.”
Wagner played starring roles at the end of the BLACKAPS home Test summer earlier this year before he was sidelined by a hamstring injury.
His day five heroics with the ball saw him claim the final wicket to clinch a dramatic one-run victory over England in Wellington in late February, before he defied a torn-hamstring to run a final-ball bye with Kane Williamson to down Sri Lanka in Christchurch.
The New Zealand-based BLACKCAPS Test players depart for Bangladesh on Tuesday November 21.
The majority of the squad who also featured at the ICC Cricket World Cup in India are currently in Dubai recovering before they relocate to Sylhet next week.
The first Test starts on November 28 with the second and final Test in Dhaka starting December 6.
The BLACKCAPS and Bangladesh then open the men’s International home summer in New Zealand later in December with two white-ball series leading into Christmas and New Year.
BLACKCAPS Test squad v Bangladesh
Tim Southee (c)
Tom Blundell (wk)
Devon Conway
Kyle Jamieson
Tom Latham
Daryl Mitchell
Henry Nicholls
Ajaz Patel
Glenn Phillips
Rachin Ravindra
Mitchell Santner
Ish Sodhi
Neil Wagner
Kane Williamson
Will Young
Bangladesh v BLACKCAPS Test series
1st Test – 28 November – 2 December – Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet
2nd Test – 6-10 December – Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
