Mark Chapman to Miss Final ODI Against Pakistan Due to Injury

Chapman Out for Final ODI

Mount Maunganui [New Zealand], April 4: New Zealand's Mark Chapman will not participate in the third and final ODI against Pakistan on Saturday due to a hamstring injury that also sidelined him for the second match of the series.

Tim Seifert, who stepped in for Chapman during the second ODI, will continue to fill that role. Chapman suffered a minor hamstring tear while fielding in the series opener held in Napier.

New Zealand Cricket confirmed on Friday that Chapman has not sufficiently recovered to be included in the lineup for the concluding match of the home summer.

Prior to his injury, Chapman had an outstanding performance against Pakistan, scoring a career-high 132 runs, which significantly contributed to New Zealand's 73-run victory. Despite his absence in the second ODI, New Zealand secured a commanding 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

The first ODI was competitive, but the second showcased New Zealand's dominance, with Pakistan struggling in all aspects of the game. Mitchell Hay's unbeaten 99* and Ben Sears' impressive five-wicket haul were pivotal in the Kiwis' victory.

Among the top six Pakistani batters, only Tayyab Tahir managed to reach double digits, while the others, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, fell short with single-digit scores.

Seifert was brought in for the second ODI following his explosive performances in the preceding five-match T20I series, where he was the top run-scorer with 249 runs at a strike rate of 207.50, earning him the Player of the Series title.

Despite being named in the squad, Seifert has not played an ODI for New Zealand in five years, with his last appearance occurring in January 2019 against Sri Lanka.

In the second ODI, Chapman was replaced by Sears, which resulted in Seifert not playing. Additionally, New Zealand lost Tom Latham for the series due to a hand fracture sustained during training before the first ODI.