NZ vs PAK: Devon Conway ruled out of fourth T20I after testing positive for COVID-19

New Zealand will miss the services of their star opener Devon Conway in the fourth T20I of the series against Pakistan as the southpaw has tested positive for COVID-19. The 32-year-old has been put in isolation at the team hotel in Christchurch after testing positive on Thursday, January 18. New Zealand Cricket has added Chad Bowes as a cover to the squad ahead of the fourth T20I scheduled to be played on Friday, January 19 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.

The 31-year-old has played 8 ODIs and 11 T20Is for New Zealand and scored 286 runs across both formats. Notably, Conway was not in the best of forms in the ongoing series having scores of 0 (1), 20 (15) and 7 (8) in the first three T20Is. Earlier, all-rounder Mitchell Santner also had to miss out on the first T20I of the series played at Eden Park, Auckland due to COVID.

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However, the left-arm spinner recovered quickly and returned to the side from the second game onwards and even captained the team in the third T20 in the absence of Kane Williamson. The New Zealand captain has been ruled out of the series following a hamstring injury in the second match. Josh Clarkson was added as a replacement for the injured Williamson, however, he was also ruled out after sustaining a shoulder injury and had to be replaced by Will Young.

New Zealand lead the series 3-0

Meanwhile, New Zealand have already sealed the series having taken an unassailable 3-0 lead by winning the first three games. In the third T20I, opening batter Finn Allen wreaked havoc on the Pakistan bowlers as he registered the highest individual score by a New Zealand batter with his breathtaking innings of 137 (62) clobbering five fours and a joint record 16 sixes in his innings.

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Courtesy of his knock, New Zealand scored 224/7 in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, Pakistan could only reach 179/ in their 20 overs with Babar Azam once again top-scoring with 58 (37) and lost by 45 runs. Being 0-3 down in the series, the Shaheen Afridi-led side will be desperate to save their pride by winning the last two games and avoid a whitewash.