Black Caps bowler Lockie Ferguson in doubt for T20 World Cup as injury rules out BBL stint
Saturday, 3 January 2026
Another injury to Black Caps speedster Lockie Ferguson has him racing to get fit in time for the T20 World Cup.
The 34-year-old suffered a calf muscle problem while bowling for the Desert Vipers against the MI Emirates in the ILT20 in Dubai just before Christmas.
Not only has it ruled him out of the competition, but has forced him to miss playing in the latter stages of the Big Bash League in Australia this month.
The 2026 T20 World Cup will start for New Zealand on February 8 against Afghanistan in Chennai. The Black Caps squad is likely to be named on January 15.
Ferguson was set to play in the BBL for the Sydney Thunder, after also turning out for the franchise last season, claiming eight wickets in six matches.
'We're gutted that Lockie won't be with us this year,' Thunder general manager Trent Copeland said.
'Not only does he bowl 150kph with an incredible amount of experience in all conditions, but he is genuinely one of the best humans in cricket and added so much to our squad culturally too.
'We wish Lockie all the best in the recovery ahead of the World Cup and hope to one day see him back playing for the Thunder.'
Ferguson hasn’t played for the Black Caps since November 2024. He missed the Champions Trophy ODI tournament early this year with a foot injury, while a hamstring problem had kept him out of white-ball internationals over recent months.
He recently wasn’t named in either the NZ ODI and T20 squads to play India in India this month, due to his deal with the Sydney Thunder.
In better news for NZ coach Rob Walter, quick bowler Adam Milne has been in excellent form in South Africa’s high-quality domestic T20 competition.
The 33-year-old has taken six wickets in three games with Sunrisers East Cape at an average of 9.00, with an Economy Rate of just 5.40.
Milne didn’t play at home late last year in white-ball matches against Australia, England and the West Indies due to an ankle injury.
Meanwhile, South Africa have named their 15-man squad for the World Cup in India and Afghanistan, featuring veteran batter-wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, who came out of international retirement in October.
Pace bowler Anrich Nortje has been included after recovering from a back stress fracture that had sidelined him since the previous T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the US. He will form part of a pace line-up that also includes Kagiso Rabada - who only returned to action last week after missing the last few months with a rib injury - Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kwena Maphaka and Lungi Ngidi.
Top-order batter Aiden Markram will captain the side, which contains only two frontline spinners in George Linde and Keshav Maharaj.
The Proteas - formerly coached by Walter - will meet NZ in a key Group D clash in Ahmedabad on February 14.