Jess Kerr replaced by Leigh Kasperek for the Sri Lanka tour

Kiwi speedster Jess Kerr has been ruled out of NZ’’s forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka due to a broken toe. Kerr picked up a fractured toe while batting in the nets last week and will now need nearly 6 months for rehabilitation. Leigh Kasperek has been named Jess’s replacement within the team. 

“Picking up an injury so close to departure for a tour is always disappointing," New Zealand women's team head coach Ben Sawyer said. "Jess is a key part of our bowling group in both formats and will be missed on what will be a challenging tour.

"Jess has been working really hard over the winter and we were excited to see how she would perform in new conditions for her, but we're confident she will be back fit and ready for our next challenge after Sri Lanka," Sawyer added.

Meanwhile Kasperek has been named in the squad for the very first time since the England tour in 2021. She has made 39 ODI and 46 T20I appearances for the White ferns. With 75 wickets, she is second on NZ’s list of all-time leading wicket takers in the T20I format. Kasperek has been recalled on the back of a strong show in the domestic competitions for Wellington Blaze. 

Leigh has had a challenging 18 months since the World Cup but has always been a player that has been on our radar," Sawyer said. "She's been kept out of the side given the form of Fran (Jonas) and Eden (Carson) who've been performing consistently well and those spin positions have probably been the most hotly contested in our team."

"With Leigh, Fran, Eden and Melie (Kerr), we have strong depth in our spin bowling stocks, and ultimately that's the level of depth we want to get to in all positions. Leigh brings a wealth of international experience to the group and I'm sure she will thrive in the Sri Lankan conditions if given an opportunity," Sawyer added.

The New Zealand women’s squad are presently at NZC's High Performance Centre for a training camp, and will leave for Sri Lanka on Thursday.