Rachin Progressing Well But Still Few More Steps Away From Being Fit: NZ Coach Stead

(MENAFN- IANS) Karachi, Feb 14 (IANS) New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has revealed that star batter Rachin Ravindra is yet to regain full fitness after sustaining an injury during the first match against Pakistan in the ongoing Tri-Nation Series as the opener“had a headache for a few days” since suffering a nasty blow to the forehead.

Ravindra was forced out from the field after being struck in the forehead by the ball while attempting a catch in the 38th over of their match against Pakistan in the ODI tri-series last week.

The 25-year-old missed New Zealand's victory over South Africa, which secured their spot in the decider in Karachi on Friday. Stead mentioned that despite returning to the nets on Thursday night, he was still not ready to play.

“The pleasing thing is that he's progressing well. We're following (head injury assessment) protocols at the moment,” Stead said in a video shared by BlackCaps on social media.

“He's had a headache for a few days but that's subsiding, which is really good news. He hit a few balls tonight for the first time, which is good, but there are still a few more steps for him to go through before he can be considered fit for play," he added.

Stead also gave an update on veteran pacer Lockie Ferguson, who sustained a hamstring injury during the ILT20. "Lockie's had a couple of bowls since he's been here. He lifted the intensity up a little more tonight,” Stead said.

“Pleased with how he's tracking so, certainly, we'll look to have him playing in one of the next two games. If anyone's got small niggles, we're likely to be conservative around that, with the Champions Trophy just around the corner.”

New Zealand will play a warm-up match against Afghanistan in Karachi on Sunday ahead of their Champions Trophy campaign, starting against the hosts Pakistan on February 19.

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