Lockie Ferguson ruled out with fractured thumb

"It's a shame for Lockie to have to miss this series, especially coming off the back of such an impressive World Cup campaign," said head coach, Gary Stead. © Getty

Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series against Sri Lanka after sustaining a fractured thumb. New Zealand will not name a replacement for the pacer.

Ferguson fractured his right thumb during training a day prior to the first T20I in Kandy and was subsequently ruled out after scans revealed a small fracture to the middle joint.

Gary Stead, New Zealand's head coach, confirmed on Sunday (September 1) that Ferguson was headed home. "It's a shame for Lockie to have to miss this series, especially coming off the back of such an impressive World Cup campaign in England," he said. "The thumb has been put in a splint and is expected to take four to six weeks to recover; so we're optimistic he'll be available for the five-game T20 series against England, which starts on November 1 in Christchurch.

"We won't name a replacement at this stage as we're confident we have adequate cover within the T20 squad who are here."

New Zealand will play Sri Lanka in the second T20I in Kandy on Tuesday, with the final game of the three-match series on Friday.