|
Doug Bracewell has been ruled out of the first Test against England due to the foot injury he sustained while cleaning up glass after a party at his home in Napier.
Doug Bracewell has been ruled out of the first Test against England due
to the foot injury he sustained while cleaning up glass after a party at
his home in Napier.
Bracewell did not attend New Zealand's final training session at
University Oval on Tuesday although it is hoped he will recover in time
for the second Test in Wellington. It means that Ian Butler, the Otago
seamer, could be in line for his first Test appearance in more than
eight years. The final place is between him and the uncapped left-arm
spinner Bruce Martin
The situation, which occurred away from the New Zealand squad, has not
resulted in any disciplinary action for Bracewell although he has been
reminded of his responsibilities and Brendon McCullum, the captain,
believes it has been over stressed.
"I think the Doug situation has been blown out of proportion to be
honest," he said. "It was an accident with was unfortunate because it
has ruled him out of a match he was hoping to be at his best for. He has
been able to build up for it. I think he will be back for the second
Test."
Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, said that there were expectations on
players to ensure they were ready for international duty but did not
think there were any significant problems around the culture of the team
that needed to be addressed.
"We've got really good standards in terms of the expectations we have on
our players," he said. "They are also human and spend a lot of time
away from the group. There is the expectation that what they do does not
affect their preparation and we are pretty strong with that.
"There's been a bit of comment about the situation but his foot just
hasn't recovered. He can't put any weight on it. There's not a lot we
can do when he's away from the side. What I understand he was cleaning
up after having a group of people over to watch the rugby. It's really
disappointing for Doug and the team as he's a crucial part of our seam
attack."
Earlier, Bracewell apologised for the situation and its impact on his
team-mates. A media release from New Zealand Cricket referred to the
incident as "unfortunate" and stated that Bracewell had been "reminded
of his obligations and responsibilities as a NZC contracted player".
"We've told Doug that he needs to take responsibility for what happens
around him and that he needs to do all he can to ensure his preparation
for international cricket is not compromised," Mike Sandle, the New
Zealand team manager, said. "Doug is very sorry for any inconvenience he
has caused his team-mates and members of the public and he has
apologised to his neighbour in Napier."
New Zealand Cricket Players' Association chief executive Heath Mills was
involved in Sandle's discussions with Bracewell, who was dropped from
the one-day squad in 2012 for breaking team protocol.
"We want to ensure that incidents like this are not repeated and that we
provide ongoing support for young players to ensure they are meeting
all their obligations and responsibilities," Mills said.
Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Andrew McGlashan
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
No comments:
Post a Comment