ODI World Cup 2023 | Michael Bracewell ruled out of tournament due to Achilles injury

06/14/2023

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Michael Bracewell, New Zealand’s ODI Player of the Year, will miss the upcoming 50-over World Cup, to be played in India later this year. The Kiwi all-rounder ruptured his right achilles while batting for Worcestershire in the T20 Blast, and is likely to be out of action for six to eight months.

Michael Bracewell is all set to undergo surgery in the UK on Thursday and will have a lengthy rehabilitation after sustaining a major injury in the ongoing T20 Blast in England. While representing Worcestershire, the 32-year-old, batting on 11 against Yorkshire, collapsed mid-pitch clutching his right leg during their content on June 9, and retired hurt aftermath. New Zealand head coach Gary Stead later confirmed the injury that Bracewell sustained was not a minor one, which led him to miss arguably the cricket’s biggest competition.

“Firstly, you always feel for the player when injury strikes and especially when it means they will have to miss a world event,” Stead said, as quoted by ICC. “Michael’s a great team man and has had a fantastic 15 months for the Black Caps since his international debut. We’ve seen his exceptional skills in all three facets of the game and he was shaping up as an important player for us at the World Cup in India. Michael’s naturally pretty disappointed, but also pragmatic in acknowledging that injuries are a part of the sport and he’s now turning his focus to his rehabilitation.”

Bracewell will return to New Zealand only after medical clearance following the surgery on Thursday. He has now joined Kane Williamson, who is likely to miss the ODI World Cup as well after rupturing his ACL on IPL 2023 back in April. However, the Kiwi skipper’s unavailability is yet to be confirmed by the board.