Kyle Jamieson Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Black Caps bowler Kyle Jamieson has been ruled out of the test series against England with a recurrence of the stress fracture in his back.
The first test, a day-nighter, is due to start at Mt Maunganui on Thursday.
Coach Gary Stead says an MRI scan identified the problem and is the same injury that ruled him out of the England Test tour in June.
Jamieson was due to play one of the two upcoming tests as his return to play was managed.
He had played domestic T20 and one day games for Auckland as well as last week's New Zealand XI warm-up match against England in Hamilton and came through those games without problems.
Kyle Jamieson has been managing his return to cricket but injury has struck again. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
"It's really gutting for Kyle to have this happen after he'd put so much hard work in to getting himself back on the park," said Stead
"Since the injury in June we've certainly taken a cautious approach to managing his return with regular monitoring by our medical staff which has included scans.
"While Kyle's not feeling any pain, the evidence is pretty clear he has a stress-fracture... (he''l) have a CT scan on Friday before we decide on the next steps."
Pace bowler Matt Henry has also been ruled out of the first test with as he as he awaits the birth of his first child.
The uncapped pair of Jacob Duffy (Otago) and Scott Kuggeleijn (Northern Districts) have been called into the squad as replacements.
New Zealand beat England in the nation's first day-night test nearly five years ago at Eden Park in Auckland.
England have lost their last five pink ball tests, including two heavy defeats to Australia in the 2021-22 Ashes.
England's Ollie Robinson, who had a miserable, injury-blighted match in the last of them in Hobart, said neither he nor fellow paceman James Anderson were fans of day-night tests or the pink Kookaburra ball.
"We've been trying to get them to swing this last week and they're very inconsistent and the seam is a bit grippier in the surface," he said.
"They're just not a traditional cricket ball. Jimmy's not happy about it.
"Traditional test cricket ... there's nothing wrong with it. I don't think we need to play these pink ball games. A bit gimmicky."
-RNZ/Reuters