New Zealand opener Martin Guptill to miss limited overs series against Pakistan due to calf injury

Wellington: New Zealand’s limited overs opening batsman Martin Guptill will miss the upcoming series against Pakistan after straining his calf playing domestic cricket, officials said on Friday. [caption id=“attachment_3534343” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of New Zealand’s Martin Guptill. AFP[/caption] Selector Gavin Larsen said Guptill had no choice but to withdraw from the One-Day International and Twenty20 squads to face Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. “Unfortunately for Martin it will take him some time to get over this injury and, with a long summer ahead, we need to make sure we minimise the risk of him repeating it,” he said. Larsen said selectors had not yet decided on a replacement. Guptill, 32, is a mainstay of New Zealand’s limited overs line-up, averaging 42.99 runs in ODIs and 34.40 in T20s. “It’s extremely frustrating to pick this up after tracking so well with how my hamstring was going… it’s gutting and I wish I was out there,” he said. New Zealand will play three T20s from 31 October, followed by three ODI and three Tests, although Guptill is not part of the Test squad.