Kyle Jamieson ruled out of England ODIs with side stiffness
What's the story
New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against England due to side stiffness. The 30-year-old felt discomfort during a training session at Bay Oval on Saturday, ahead of the series opener on Sunday (October 26). Given his history with stress fractures, including one after back surgery, New Zealand took a precautionary approach and decided to rest him for this three-match series.
Health 1st
Need to prioritize player health, says coach Rob Walter
New Zealand coach Rob Walter stressed the need to prioritize player health at this stage of the summer. "Kyle experienced some stiffness in his side after bowling today and we didn't want to take any risks at this stage of the summer," he said. The decision was made with an eye on Jamieson's potential return for the West Indies tour starting November 5 in Auckland.
Recovery process
Replacement for Jamieson to be announced after Ford Trophy
Jamieson will return to Christchurch for further assessment of his condition. Walter confirmed that a replacement for the injured player would be announced after the conclusion of the opening round of New Zealand's domestic One-Day tournament, Ford Trophy, on Saturday. This decision comes as part of their strategy to ensure a full-strength squad for upcoming matches.
Injury management
Jamieson's careful approach toward injury management
Last month, Jamieson had told ESPNcricinfo about his careful approach toward injury management on his return to competitive cricket after a stress fracture last year. His bowling program is being supervised by high-performance coaches Chelsea Lane and Matt Dallow. "They've done a huge amount of work in rebuilding athletes and biomechanics and just how to stack up your body properly," he said.