T20 World Cup 2022: New Zealand's tearaway quick Lockie Ferguson on track for tournament opener

New Zealand's fiery pacer Lockie Ferguson looks on track to feature in New Zealand's T20 World Cup 2022 opener against Trans-Tasman rivals Australia on Saturday, October 22 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney.

Ferguson was forced to sit out the recent tri-series involving hosts New Zealand, Bangladesh and Pakistan due to an abdominal injury. Although, the injury was minor, the team management didn't want to risk the tearaway quick ahead of the T20 World Cup and hence decided not to feature him in the series.

New Zealand went on to lose the tri-series final at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch to Pakistan by five wickets despite scoring in excess of 160 as Pakistan's batting line-up chased the target (164) down with three balls to spare.

He is going to be the key to New Zealand's chances at the marquee tournament as the right-arm pacer is known for his hit-the-deck-hard kind of bowling and is therefore expected to extract plenty of assistance from the fast-paced Australian tracks.

New Zealand's Head Coach Garry Stead seemed quite satisfied with Ferguson's recovery and mentioned that the 31-year-old pacer looks pretty certain to play in New Zealand's tournament opener.

“He’s definitely on track for the SCG. He bowled really well when we had a session out in the middle before [Friday’s final] and we’re excited where he was at, so really pleased with how he’s coming along.

“He was right up at the level three level, which is as high as you can get, and it looked like the Lockie of old,” said Stead as reported by stuff.co.nz.

Ferguson played an instrumental role in guiding the Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title this season. He bagged a total of 12 wickets in the season, including a four-wicket haul. His fitness is extremely crucial for the Black Caps as they need venom in their bowling attack. 

New Zealand will have the services of experienced campaigners in Tim Southee and Trent Boult and the duo has plenty of experience when it comes to playing in Australian conditions.