Four of New Zealand's best cricketers will take some time away from the game in preparation for the upcoming series against South Africa.
Black Caps captain Kane Williamson and coach Mike Hesson Photo: Photosport
Black Caps coach Mike Hesson has said that Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Kane Williamson and Mitchell Santner will be relieved from this week's matches in the the Ford Trophy.
Southee and Boult will be rested as part of their workload management, Hesson said, while Santner and Williamson need time to recover from little niggles.
"Tim, Trent, Santner and Williamson will all be out for a week and will be given a chance to recoup," Hesson said. "Both Santner and Williamson have got little injuries that they need to get right and Tim and Trent [have] obviously high workloads. The rest [of the players] will return to some degree.
"Mitch had a little fracture on the end of his thumb, which he has had for a little while but we want to get that right before South Africa. And Kane has had a bit of a foot issue for a while and we'll see how that scrubs out over the next week. I can't tell you the exact details [of Williamson's injury] but he's had it for a long time. He just hasn't had time to rest it."
The series against South Africa begins on February 17 so the break will be a short lived one.
Coach Hesson will also be keeping a close eye on other members of his squad who are struggling with injuries.
Fast bowler Neil Wagner is in doubt for the Tests after fracturing a finger during the Ford Trophy match last week and is expected to be out of action for at least a month.
The first Test against South Africa begins on March 8 in Dunedin.
"It's huge for Neil, obviously playing on his home ground. He's pretty determined to be right for that first Test so it is a race against time but we will just have to wait and see," Hesson said. "It's a huge blow for us to be unavailable but I am sure Neil will do everything in his powers for us to be ready."
BJ Watling and Luke Ronchi, the side's frontline wicketkeepers in Tests and limited-overs respectively, also faced injury concerns recently. Watling was advised three weeks' rest last month for a sprained right knee, while Ronchi suffered a tear to his right adductor during the home series against Bangladesh. Hesson said he expected Watling to be fit in time and was also pleased with the progress Ronchi had made in terms of his recovery. Ronchi made a return to competitive cricket in the Ford Trophy, turning out for Wellington against Otago last week.
While injuries are a concern Hesson appears content with the depth of his squad following the recent 2-0 Chappell-Hadlee Series win over Australia.
He commended Dean Brownlie and Tom Latham for stepping in to fill the roles as opener and wicketkeeper-batsman respectively after injuries affected the side.
Latham was picked as the side's wicketkeeper over Tom Blundell and effected six dismissals behind the stumps in the series, while Brownlie, making his return to international cricket after two years, replaced Martin Guptill in the squad and hit 63 in the third ODI.
"Really delighted for Dean. He's been around the group with the Test squad for a little while. He's fought his way back in," he said. "He had a specific role against that attack - we needed someone who could play the swinging ball and deal with the pace and we hoped Dean would be able to do that and he performed exceptionally well.
"He did a great job. It's just good for the group, to be fair. It gives us options moving forward and allows us to have a horses-for-courses approach.
"We've had a lot of guys come in and out due to injury and most of the guys who have come in have been able to deliver straightaway and it's a good sign for us. Also that we don't rely on only one or two players which some other sides around the world do. It's important for us that we continue to develop depth in all forms and we are starting to."
South Africa's tour of New Zealand will begin with a T20 international on February 17, before the five-match ODI series gets underway on February 19. The Test series will start from March 8 in Dunedin.