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New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa and the upcoming T20I series against Australia due to a foot injury. The Blackcaps' head coach Gary Stead confirmed the development and also revealed that Mitchell's injury isn't a new concern rather the all-rounder has been carrying the problem for around six or seven months.
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Citing this injury, Daryl Mitchell was rested for the T20I series against Pakistan but now the Chennai Super Kings-bound star will receive long-term rest. Mitchell hopes to return for the two-match Test series against the Aussies which kicks off on February 29 after the three T20Is in Wellington and Auckland.
He needs a longer period of time: Stead on Mitchell's injury timeline
Speaking to the press about Daryl Mitchell's injury, New Zealand coach Gary Stead said, "We took the opportunity to rest him a little earlier but after seeking medical advice on this as well it's likely that he needs a longer period of time."
"It's really tough, because there's not a lot of breaks coming up in the next week while so thought this gives us nearly three weeks to try and give him the chance of the best recuperation from it. There's no guarantees this will still work in that period of time but we are very hopeful that it will improve his chances of getting through a longer stint with us," he further continued.
Will Young and Glenn Philips: Possible Daryl Mitchell replacements
Speaking about possible replacements, Gary Stead named players like Will Young and Glenn Philips as viable options. While uncapped Will O'Rourke, part of the Test squad, is also in contention for a debut. "[Will Young] is definitely one of the options," Stead said. "Will's there as backup [and] Glenn Phillips has shown he's more than useful and it could be shaped differently.
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