CT 2025: Ferguson’s participation in doubt after hamstring injury in ILT20

New Zealandrsquos preparations for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 have hit a potential roadblock with fast bowler Lockie Fergusonrsquos availability in doubt due to a hamstring injury sustained during the ongoing ILT20 in the UAEThe experienced speedster who was leading the Desert Vipers in the tournament left the field before completing his spell in the first qualifier against Dubai Capitals on Wednesday raising concerns about his fitness ahead of the crucial international assignmentFollowing the injury Ferguson underwent a scan on Thursday to assess the severity of the problem New Zealand head coach Gary Stead confirmed that the team was awaiting the radiologistrsquos report before making a decision on Fergusonrsquos participation in the triseries in Pakistan and the Champions TrophyLockie had a scan yesterday Thursday in the UAE Stead said on the eve of triseries opener Weve got the images here and we are waiting for our radiologist to give us a report on the extent of it Small hamstring injury by the look of it so were just waiting on a timeline of advice around that before we make a decision on whether Lockie travels here Pakistan or whether we do have to replace him for the Champions TrophyFerguson who is the most experienced fast bowler in New Zealandrsquos Champions Trophy squad plays a key role in the Black Capsrsquo attack particularly on subcontinent pitches His absence would leave a significant void in the squad especially with fellow quick Ben Sears still recovering from knee surgery Sears who has played 17 T20Is and one Test is yet to make his ODI debut making Fergusonrsquos injury a serious concern for the KiwisTo cover for Fergusonrsquos injury New Zealand had already included seamer Jacob Duffy in the squad as a standby However with less than two weeks before their opening match in the Champions Trophy against Pakistan on February 19 in Karachi the team management may be forced to name a replacement if Ferguson is unable to recover in timeNew Zealand is set to play a triseries involving Pakistan and South Africa beginning on Saturday as part of their preparations for the Champions Trophy The team will also play a day match against South Africa in Lahore on February 10 with the remaining games scheduled as daynight fixturesWith player fitness a priority Stead emphasised that the team would carefully manage the bowlersrsquo workloadsIt will depend on how people shape up especially the bowlers after this first game and what their loads are like and then what the conditions are like as well he said Its not quite as hot as you think it would be in Asia It still gets pretty cold here in the evenings but if you bowl in the heat of the day it might take more out of the bowlers So we will just manage that and be smart around it understanding that the big tournament is the Champions TrophyAmid the uncertainty surrounding Ferguson New Zealand has received a boost with the return of skipper Kane Williamson and toporder batter Devon Conway Both players have rejoined the squad in Lahore after completing their franchise commitments with Durbanrsquos Super Giants DSG and Joburg Super Kings JSK in the SA20 LeagueTheir presence will be vital as New Zealand finetunes its squad ahead of the marquee ICC eventWhile all eight participating teams have already announced their Champions Trophy squads the ICC allows changes until February 12 If Fergusonrsquos injury is deemed serious New Zealand could be forced to bring in a replacement before the deadlineWith agency inputs