Matt Henry to join New Zealand team in Bangladesh

Fast bowler Matt Henry has been included in the New Zealand squad in place of batsman Finn Allen for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Bangladesh starting September 1. In fact, Henry has arrived in Bangladesh after Allen was found to be corona infected upon his arrival in Dhaka, although he has been selected as a replacement, as Allen will remain with the New Zealand team and will be constantly monitored by team doctor Pat McHugh.

Henry, 29, was initially selected only for New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan, but will now travel from New Zealand to Bangladesh on Monday to join the squad in Dhaka. It is noteworthy that Henry last played a T20 match against Bangladesh in Napier four years ago. He has taken seven wickets in six T20 matches in his career so far. He could not take a wicket in his debut against Pakistan only in December 2014.

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has admitted that Henry will not replace Allen directly, although he feels he will bring balance to the team, which will help with the bowling workload. “Henry is arguably not the exact same replacement as Finn, but he expands our selection options and is the most appropriate player to join the team in such a short period of time under the current circumstances,” he said in a statement. He has received both the doses of corona vaccine and has already been allotted an MIQ bed for his return. In the current environment, we remain conscious of the need to carefully balance the workload of the players.