Harare, July 25
New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell has been named as a replacement for injured Glenn Phillips for the first Test against Zimbabwe.
Phillips suffered the injury during the Major League Cricket (MLC) final and was assessed on arrival in Zimbabwe and required a number of weeks to rehabilitate.
Bracewell, who was not considered in the original squad due to his commitments with The Hundred overlapping with the two-Test series in Bulawayo, set to make a return in the BlackCaps red-ball lineup for the first time since 2023.
The 34-year old, who last featured in a Test match during Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in 2023, will depart Zimbabwe after the conclusion of the first Test and join the Southern Brave ahead of their first game.
Having made his debut in the longest format back in 2022, Bracewell has 24 wickets and 259 runs to his name from eight matches. New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said Bracewell is a strong replacement for Phillips.
“Glenn’s injury provided a gap in the Test squad and Michael is the closest like-for-like replacement. Michael’s experience and skillset will be a great asset and allows us to keep the same balance of the team," said Walter.