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Ross Taylor is out of the Black Caps’ ODI opener against Bangladesh on Saturday with a hamstring injury.
Mark Chapman’s final season at the Black Caps may be brief, but he enjoys the call anyway, while a couple of exciting debuts await him this weekend.
The SUV was supposed to be en route to Invercargill on Wednesday to play for the Auckland Aces in the Plunket Shield, but ended up flying to Dunedin, where the Black Caps one-day international series against Bangladesh begins on Saturday.
He is the beneficiary of a minor hamstring tear from Ross Taylor, which has ruled out the veteran hitter from the first game of the series at the University of Otago Oval.
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Mark Chapman has been called up to the Black Caps team for the first ODI against Bangladesh in place of Ross Taylor.
Taylor is expected to return for Game 2 Tuesday at Hagley Oval and Game 3 and final at the Basin Reserve next Friday, but in the meantime, Chapman said he would enjoy the opportunity to spend more time at camp.
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“Every time you go in there, it feels like you go up an intensity level, and I feel like my game improves as a result of that, so it’s a great environment to be a part of.”
With Taylor joining captain Kane Williamson, who has an elbow problem, on the sidelines, new international players Devon Conway and Will Young are likely to make their debut at No. 3 and No. 4, offering cricket fans a Kiwi an exciting vision of the future.
Chapman is most likely ready for a season carrying the drinks, unless conditions tempt Gary Stead and backup captain Tom Latham to include a second spin option in addition to Mitchell Santner.
It was the need for a third spin option that gave Chapman his last outing in a Black Caps jersey – in the fifth and final Twenty20 against Australia on a worn surface at Sky Stadium earlier this month, where he pitched. two overs and took 1-7.
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Ross Taylor’s absence is likely to spell a Black Caps ODI debut for Will Young on Saturday.
Those overs were the first the left arm spinner had thrown in a match in more than a year, but he was willing to do his part given the conditions on offer.
“Steady and Kane let me know the day before that he would probably be bowling, so I had some time to prepare, and I had been playing a lot in the background,” he said.
“That is part of my game where I am really looking to improve. He was happy that the first ball landed somewhere where he was trying to [put it], and then I quite enjoyed it. “
Chapman’s twist could be a feather in his cap for years to come, with India, and their friendly conditions, hosting the next T20 World Cup in October, as well as the next ODI World Cup in October 2023.
“First of all, obviously my hitting is pretty important. I need to hit well, but the added quality of being able to throw a few overs, with World Cups looming on the subcontinent, is something that will work in my favor.
“I have to keep working on it and I hope my opportunity comes.”
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Taylor was scheduled to meet with the rest of the Black Caps in Dunedin on Wednesday for treatment and management of his injury.
“It is a small tear, and we are hopeful that after a little rest and rehab we can get him in shape for the second game in Christchurch,” Stead said.
“It’s an exciting time for Mark, who has come and performed well recently for the T20 team, so we have every confidence that he can get the job done if asked.”
The series against Bangladesh is the first of the Black Caps in the World Cup Super League, which will find the top seven qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup.
