New Zealand Pacer Will O'Rourke Out Of Action For At Least 3 Months Due To A Stress Fracture

Sports Cricket

Posted by AI on 2025-08-26 05:21:01 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-16 04:20:36

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Zimbabwe's tour of New Zealand might have been overshadowed by the ignominy of an innings defeat in the first Test, but the hosts have suffered a far more serious setback ahead of the second game of the series, as 24-year-old pacer Will O'Rourke has been ruled out of action for at least three months due to a stress fracture in his right knee. This is the same knee that O'Rourke had undergone surgery on back in August last year. It unspecified whether the current injury is related to that previous surgery.

The untimely injury, which O'Rourke picked up while bowling in the first Test against Zimbabwe this month, has cruelly robbed him of the chance to make his home Test debut in the second match of the series at Christchurch. He did not bowl again after his second over on the second day of the match, and returned home amid concerns over his fitness. Scans have now revealed that he will be out of action for at least three months, and will unfortunately miss the ICC World Test Championship Finals, to be held later this month.

This is a massive blow for the young bowler, who had shown promise and the ability to consistently clock 140 km/hr, and had only recently made the leap from domestic to international cricket. It remains to be seen if he will be fit in time for the home series against South Africa slated for August-September this year.

This news is a reminder of the oft-quoted phrase "cattle class" when it comes to the fitness and availability of fast bowlers, who are undeniably the hardest workers in the sport of cricket.

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