T20 World Cup 2021: Devon Conway ruled out of New Zealand’s final tie against Australia
New Zealand opener Devon Conway has been ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 clash against Australia and subsequent bilateral series against India.
The South African-born Kiwi cricketer sustained an injury during the semifinal clash against England on November 10. Devon Conway struck the bat with his hand in anguish after his dismissal at a crucial juncture of the game.
The southpaw underwent scans on the injured arm earlier today that confirmed a break to his right-hand fifth Metacarpal. The Black Caps head coach Gary Stead revealed the recent developments have shattered Devon Conway completely as he was looking forward to playing the final on Sunday.
He’s absolutely gutted to be ruled out like this at this time,” head coach Gary Stead said. “Devon is hugely passionate about playing for the BLACKCAPS and no one is more disappointed at the moment than he is – so we’re really trying to rally around him.
JUST IN: Devon Conway has been ruled out of the #T20WorldCup final with a broken right hand.
He will also miss New Zealand's tour of India. pic.twitter.com/dWvwJD5w01
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 11, 2021
“It looked a pretty innocuous reactionary incident on the field, but the blow obviously caught the bat between the glove padding and while it’s not the smartest thing he’s done there’s certainly an element of bad luck in the injury. Devon is a great team-man and a very popular member of the side so we’re all feeling for him. He’s determined to support the team in anyway he can for the remainder of the tour before he returns home to recover,” he added.
Devon Conway played six games in the T20 World Cup and scored 129 runs at a strike rate of 108.40. Glenn Phillips is likely to don the wicket-keeper’s gloves in his absence in the mega final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Meanwhile, New Zealand have decided not to opt for a replacement for the final clash and the three-match T20I series against India due to crunch in time. However, they will call in a replacement for the two-match Test series, starting November 25.
“Due to the timelines we won’t be bringing in a replacement player for this World Cup or next week’s T20 series against India, but are working through our options for the Test series later this month,” Gary Stead concluded.
