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Black Caps vs Pakistan: Neil Wagner vows to do his part 'unless they carry me off on a stretcher'
Andrew Voerman20:43, Dec 28 2020
SPARK SPORT
Black Caps quick Neil Wagner has fractured a toe in his right foot, but has been cleared to bowl if he can withstand the pain.
Neil Wagner bowled through the pain of a fractured toe on Monday, taking two Pakistan wickets to help the Black Caps into a dominant position in the first test at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
After he walked off the field at the end of the third day with Pakistan all out for 239 in their first innings, trailing by 192 runs, the left-arm seamer cut an emotional figure, declaring that “you’ve just got to find a way to deal with it and bowl for your mates”.
He suffered the injury when fellow left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi struck him on the foot while he was batting on Sunday afternoon. After receiving treatment, he went on to contribute 19 to the Black Caps’ total of 431, then returned to the field to bowl three overs.
Overnight X-rays revealed he had suffered a displaced fracture of his fourth toe – the one next to the little toe – on his right foot, but a doctor cleared him to play – as long as he could deal with the pain.
PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES
Black Caps seamer Neil Wagner celebrates the wicket of Fawad Alam, which he claimed while bowling with a fractured toe.
A pain-killing injection was required in the middle of the day, which began at 11am and ended at 7.30pm, as the result of three breaks for rain, but he bowled 18 overs and took two wickets as the Black Caps put themselves on top.
“I wouldn’t want to be sitting on the side with my foot up, watching the boys do the hard work while I can’t be there to help out,” was how an emotional Wagner put it afterwards.
“I’d have a bit of Fomo [feeling of missing out].
“It just wouldn’t be fair and it wouldn’t be right – injuries happen and it’s unlucky, but I can still walk and I can still run. It’s sore, but it’s just one of those things you’ve got to deal with.
“I still felt that I didn’t want to let my team-mates down and I just wanted to find a way of contributing to the team.
“Test matches don’t come easy and playing for your country is never anything you can take for granted.
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“I know how bloody hard I had to work to get where I am now, so I’m sure as hell not going to sit on the side and watch other people do it. I want to be part of it and play my part, and unless they carry me off on a stretcher, I’m going to do everything I can.”
Wagner got his first wicket midway through the second session, when Fawad Alam got an edge on a hook that sailed through to wicketkeeper BJ Watling, then added another late in the elongated final session, when Shaheen sent another short ball straight to Tom Latham at short leg.
He said Monday had been one of his toughest days on a cricket field, but he was looking forward to the challenge of bowling Pakistan out again, then seeing whether he can back up and play in the second test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, which starts on Sunday.
“I don’t want to look too far ahead, but you’re going to have to try to force me away.
“We’ll sum it after each day and hopefully it gets better and hopefully we can do the job and get a couple of day’s rest for the foot, but we’ll see how it goes and fingers crossed it will be alright.”
Play will resume slightly early on Tuesday, at 10.46am, with the Black Caps about to start their second innings and plenty of intrigue around as to when they will declare.
They need to win both tests in this series to have a chance of making the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in England next June, so captain Kane Williamson will have to find the right balance of runs on the board and overs remaining.
