New Zealand’s star opening batsman Martin Guptill has been dropped from the upcoming series against Pakistan as he has sustained a strain in the calf muscles while playing domestic cricket. Confirming the development, chief selector Gavin Larsen said Guptill had no choice but to withdraw from the one-day international and Twenty20 squads to face Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
“Unfortunately for Martin it will take him some time to get over this injury and, with a long summer ahead, we need to make sure we minimise the risk of him repeating it,” he said.
The selectors had not yet decided on a replacement. However, according to several reports, young sensation Glenn Phillips is among the contenders to get picked following some impressive performances in the shortest format of the game recently.
On the other hand, Guptill expressed his regrets on picking up the injury. He said, “It's extremely frustrating to pick this up after tracking so well with how my hamstring was going. It's gutting and I wish I was out there,” he said.
Guptill will now be hoping to return in the Kiwi dressing room in the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka, beginning on January 3. The 32-year-old is a mainstay of New Zealand's limited-overs line-up, averaging 42.99 runs in ODIs and 34.40 in T20s.
New Zealand will play three T20s from October 21, followed by three ODI and three Tests, although Guptill is not part of the Test squad.