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Australia skipper Pat Cummins took a dig at New Zealand Neil Wagner’s possible return from retirement for the second Test between New Zealand and Australia. Wagner announced his retirement just a few days before the First Test in Wellington. New Zealand captain Tim Southee dropped a hint about the possible return of Wagner into the team lineup after Will ORouke suffered the injury during the first Test.
ORukee sustained a hamstring injury and will be assessed in the next few days. If things don’t go well, New Zealand would be keen to recall Wagner for the second and final Test against Australia. Dropping hints about ORouke’s comeback, Southee said, "We haven't had a lot of discussions as yet. We'll see how Will scrubs up. The physio hasn't sort of put a time frame on it or how bad it is. We'll just wait and see how Will goes over the next couple of days. I'm sure there'll be an update in the next 24 hours.”
Pat Cummins takes dig at Neil Wagner’s possible return
Australian skipper Pat Cummins took a dig at Neil Wagner’s possible return for the second Test. Cummins laughed and called it the “World’s shortest retirement”. He added, “I mean, why not? If he’s your next best bowler that you think is going to perform, then go for it. I’ve faced him before. It’d be good to see. He’s high energy. It’s been good fun chatting to him each morning out here, so see how he goes.”
Notably, South African-born Wagner played 64 Tests for New Zealand and sits fifth on Kiwis’ list of all-time Test wicket-takers with 260 scalps, averaging 37. He is behind Richard Hadlee, Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori, and Trent Boult.
While announcing his retirement, he remembered Brendon McCullum and said, “He always spoke about leaving the Black Caps in a better place when you’re done and moving that legacy forward, and I thought that’s something I can be pretty proud of. To the NZ public and the fans, I can’t thank you enough, for your support, for making me feel welcome, for making me feel like a Kiwi.”