The Black Caps have suffered a brutal blow on the eve of the Twenty20 World Cup, with star seamer Lockie Ferguson ruled out of the tournament with a calf tear.
Ferguson felt tightness in his right calf after the Black Caps' training on Tuesday, and a subsequent MRI scan just hours before their first match against Pakistan revealed a grade two tear.
The tear requires a recovery of three to four weeks, and with the Black Caps facing a schedule that includes five games in the next 13 days, Ferguson was ruled out of the tournament before he could bowl a ball.
"It's a real shame for Lockie to have this happen on the eve of the tournament and the entire team is really feeling for him right now," said Black Caps head coach Gary Stead.
"He's a massive part of our T20 side and has been in such good form - so to lose him at this time is a blow.