Tim Southee's World Cup participation in jeopardy following thumb injury against England in 4th ODI

In a disheartening turn of events for New Zealand's cricketing faithful, the availability of their seasoned pacer, Tim Southee, hangs precariously in the balance as they eagerly anticipate the forthcoming World Cup in India. Southee's fortunes took a somber twist during the fourth One-Day International clash against England at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, where he suffered a grievous injury to his right thumb while fielding. 

The incident occurred as he valiantly attempted to pluck a catch from the heavens, in pursuit of England's batting stalwart, Joe Root, during the 14th over of the home side's innings. Subsequently, the 34-year-old was forced to leave the field, making way for the skilled Trent Boult to step in. Regrettably, the talismanic bowler did not return to wield his willow later in the day.

This setback added to the woes of the Kiwi camp, as they had already conceded the five-match series 3-1 to the relentless Englishmen. Southee's pivotal role as one of the four frontline pacers in New Zealand's squad for the impending World Cup, alongside the likes of Trent Boult, Matt Henry, and Lockie Ferguson, casts a shadow of doubt over his participation in the cricketing extravaganza.

 "A timeline for his recovery will be established tomorrow when he undergoes further assessment," stated New Zealand Cricket in their statement over Southee's injury concerns.

Souhtee is a pretty resilient character: Tom Latham keeps his fingers crossed over Southee’s return

As New Zealand's stand-in captain for the series, Tom Latham expressed his thoughts on the right-arm pacer's predicament, it became evident just how vital the injured paceman is to the team. Latham remarked,

"It's not ideal for Timmy. He's a massive leader amongst the group and obviously he'll be assessed over the coming days when we get back home to see how bad it is, but we do have a bit of time leading into those first couple of games, so we'll know more over the next couple of day,”

He further added, “He's a pretty resilient character, so I'm sure he'll be doing all he can to be on the plane, ready for that first game. But it's hard to know at this point what the timeframe will be. Once he gets home and has a few more scans, we'll know the extent of what's going on," as quoted by Cricbuzz.