New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed Adam Milne's decision on Monday.
New Zealand pacer Adam Milne has decided to skip the upcoming limited-overs series in Pakistan and India due to concerns about his preparation for the crucial tours.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed on Monday (January 2) that Milne had withdrawn his name from the white-ball squads for the upcoming tours of Pakistan and India while appreciating his honesty.
The NZC also announced that Blair Tickner, who is already in Pakistan with the Kiwi Test team, has replaced Milne in the New Zealand squad for the upcoming white-ball assignments against Pakistan and India.
Notably, the right-arm pace bowler played with a tight hamstring against India recently, and it led to a delay in his return for the Wellington Firebirds as he missed two Ford Trophy matches last month.
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However, Milne played the first two games of the Super Smash season, but he feels it was not enough for the upcoming ODI matches. He will now continue to play for the Wellington Firebirds at home.
Reacting to the same, New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said: “Adam was very upfront with us about his concerns around the lack of one-day bowling loading for the upcoming tours. After chatting with him, we agreed his preparation leading into the tour would not be sufficient for him to cope with the demands of back-to-back, three-game ODI series. We appreciate his honesty and his genuine desire not to let the team down.”
Larsen signed off by saying on Tickner, “Blair's skills at bowling through the middle and his ability to hit the pitch hard make him a similar prospect to what Adam offered us. The fact he is already in Pakistan experiencing the conditions is an added bonus.”
Notably, New Zealand’s ODI squad will depart for Pakistan on January 4, with the first ODI set to be played in January. After the conclusion of the Pakistan tour on January 13, the Back Caps will travel to India for the three-match ODI series and as many T20Is as possible, starting on January 18.
(With ANI Inputs)