Southee ‘unavailable’ for World Cup opener

AHMEDABAD: New Zealand´s Tim Southee will miss the World Cup´s opening match against holders England and potentially some of the following matches due to an injured thumb, stand-in-skipper Tom Latham said on Wednesday.

The Black Caps will be without regular captain Kane Williamson (knee injury) and Southee (thumb injury) at the tournament´s opening match in the world´s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Williamson played the team´s first warm-up purely as a batsman and then fielded as well in the second warm-up, but Southee still awaits his first outing in India. "No Kane and no Tim as well," Latham told reporters ahead of the opener.

"He (Southee) is unavailable for selection. He is recovering nicely, it has been nearly two weeks post-surgery, so fingers crossed he keeps recovering.

Southee, who dislocated his thumb in a one-day against England more than three weeks ago, underwent surgery and said doctors had to "chuck in some screws and a plate" to boost his chances of playing in the 50-over showpiece event.