New Zealand captain Tom Latham has been ruled out of the fourth T20I against South Africa due to injury, New Zealand Cricket confirmed on Sunday. Wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell has been drafted into the squad as cover for the match scheduled in Wellington.
Latham sustained the injury during the third T20I at Eden Park on Friday after being struck on the thumb by South Africa pacer Nqobani Mokoena. Despite the blow, he continued his innings and remained unbeaten on 63, guiding New Zealand to an eight-wicket victory.
In an official statement, NZC confirmed that medical staff assessed Latham’s thumb following the match. He was then flown to Christchurch the following morning for further scans. His availability for the fifth T20I against South Africa will be determined once the scan results are known.
In Latham’s absence, all-rounder James Neesham will take charge of the side. The match will mark the first occasion in his decade-long international career that he has captained New Zealand, making him the 12th player from the country to lead the team in T20 Internationals.
