New Zealand have pulled Kyle Jamieson out of the three-match one-day series against England after the tall quick reported stiffness in his left side during a training run-through at Bay Oval on Saturday. The decision, confirmed late in the afternoon, is precautionary but firm; the coaching staff do not want to tempt fate with a bowler who has already spent too long in the treatment room.
“We felt it was best for him to sit out this one-day series and give himself the best chance of being ready for the West Indies tour which starts on 5 November in Auckland,” head coach Rob Walter said. “Kyle experienced some stiffness in his side after bowling today and we didn’t want to take any risks at this stage of the summer.”
Jamieson, 30, underwent back surgery last year after a stress fracture and has been on a meticulously managed workload since returning in early 2025. He will fly home to Christchurch for scans and a fresh look from the medical team. A replacement bowler will be named once the opening round of the Ford Trophy—the domestic 50-over competition—wraps up this weekend.
The timing is frustrating, not disastrous. New Zealand have only three ODIs against England before shifting format and opponent, and the selectors are keen to see Jamieson on deck for the first Test against West Indies. At full tilt he offers bounce, a heavy length and late movement, the sort of package New Zealand rarely leave in the cupboard unless they absolutely must.
Jamieson himself spoke to ESPNcricinfo last month about the painstaking routine he now follows, under the eye of high-performance specialists Chelsea Lane and Matt Dallow. “They advise on everything, right from how my body’s moving, what my gym programme looks like, what the [bowling] load numbers look like,” he said. “I have reflection and review processes with them after pretty much every day that I bowl… my total load tracking is done through them.”
Few players enjoy that level of detail, yet Jamieson clearly feels it is the price of a second act in international cricket. New Zealand will hope the side niggle is nothing more than an early-summer warning shot. England, meanwhile, know they will not have to deal with his 6ft 8in frame for at least another fortnight, a small mercy in a condensed tour.
