Henry was ruled out of Pakistan and India tours with an abdominal strain, which he sustained on the final day of the recently-concluded Karachi Test. The 31-year-old will require two to four weeks of rest and rehabilitation before returning to the field.
Pace-bowling all-rounder Doug Bracewell is set to replace Henry in the 50-overs squad. He last featured in the home ODI series against the Netherlands in April 2022.
Blackcaps head coach Gary Stead has confirmed that Bracewell will join the team in Karachi on Wednesday.
“Doug is a quality bowler with a lot of experience and we feel his skills best complement the bowling mix we already have in the squads for Pakistan and India. He has experience across all three formats at the international level, has experience in the subcontinent, and has already shown his range of skills this season,” Stead was quoted as saying to the reporters.
Expressing sympathy for Henry, Steady said: “Matt has been one of the leaders of our ODI attack for several years and I know he’s disappointed to be missing out because of injury. With important home series coming up, it’s vital he has time to recover properly over the coming weeks.”
The ODI series between Pakistan and New Zealand kick-starts in Karachi on Monday (January 9), while the 50-overs rubber between India and New Zealand begins on January 18 in Hyderabad.
New Zealand’s revised ODI squad:
Kane Williamson (captain – Pakistan ODIs only), Tom Latham (captain – India ODIs), Finn Allen, Doug Bracewell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman (India ODIs only), Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy (India ODI’s only), Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (Pakistan ODIs only), Blair Tickner.
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