After Will O’Rourke was hurt in the opening Test, Tim Southee, the captain of New Zealand, made a suggestion that they may bring back retired Neil Wagner into the starting lineup. O’Rourke is scheduled for evaluation in the upcoming days after suffering a hamstring strain. The bowler went out of the field for the whole second innings of Australia after he could only manage five deliveries during his eighth over.
Southee acknowledged that they may resort to the seasoned Wagner, who had left out of international cricket prior to the series began. This is due to being New Zealand down halfway through the series and ORourke doubtful for 2nd Test.
Just a few days prior to the first Test, Wagner declared his retirement. The pacer was informed that he would not be picked for any of the two matches.
Wagner had to end his career because of this, despite having taken down 260 opponents in 64 games. Wagner stayed with the team for the opening Test, lending support at the nets. He was also making an appearance as a replacement fielder during one of the days. On Friday, March 8, the second Test involving Australia and New Zealand will get underway.
“He’s been a fan favorite for a long time” : Tim Southee on Neil Wagner
The captain of the Black Caps, as reported by Cricinfo, stated following the game that Wagner had long been a favourite among fans and may be a possibility. Tim 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 timeframe 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. We obviously have to go on and make a decision on who comes in and what role we sort of see that playing out in Christchurch.”
He added, “[Wagner’s] had a great reception here over the last week where he got a couple of moments on the field and obviously he’s been a fan favorite for a long time.”
