Tom Latham will miss the second Test of Zimbabwe’s two-match series against New Zealand at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo because he has not recovered from a shoulder injury. Latham did not make the starting XI for the series opener, and Mitchell Santner led the team to a nine-wicket victory in his absence.
The news for the second Test comes on top of Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke being ruled out due to injury. Head coach Rob Walter expressed regret for Latham’s absence and explained why he did not participate in the second match.
“It is quite unfortunate to lose Tom again. He had been training hard and was on schedule for the second test, but today he was unable to pass his fitness testing. He’s devastated that he won’t be able to visit the park, and we really feel for him,” Walter said, as quoted by ICC.
Walter announced the addition of Bevon Jacobs to the Test squad as cover for Tom Latham on the pitch and with the bat.
“With Tom ruled out on the eve of the match, we needed to immediately bring in an extra set of hands to provide fielding and batting support. Fortunately, Bevon had been playing in Johannesburg and was able to make the short trip to Bulawayo,” Walter explained.
Jacobs made his debut for the Black Caps in the recently-concluded tri-series involving Zimbabwe and South Africa. The 23-year-old has played three T20Is until now. Jacobs will join Ben Lister and Zakary Foulkes in the setup for the second Test.
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