Latham to miss warm-ups

New Zealand wicket-keeper Tom Latham is set to miss New Zealand’s two pre-tournament warm-up matches against India and West Indies due to injury.

National team skipper Kane Williamson confirmed the news at the Captains’ Day on 23 May in London, where captains from all ten competing nations congregated for an open press conference. “Tom won’t be available for the first two warm-up games,” Williamson said.

“We are hoping he progresses nice and quickly and we will have to address it as the days go by.”

Latham picked up an injury to his finger while wicket-keeping in a match against an Australia XI, prior to flying out to England & Wales for the imminent tournament. It was initially anticipated that he would return for the Black Caps’ second warm-up match against West Indies on 28 June, however it is now apparent he will also be absent for both that game and the first warm-up against India on May 25.

It is not yet clear whether Latham will be fit for New Zealand’s first 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup match, when they take on Sri Lanka on June 1 in Cardiff.