Leigh Kasperek replaces injured Jess Kerr for New Zealand’s Sri Lanka Tour

New Zealand fast bowler Jess Kerr will miss the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka due to a broken toe sustained during a net session. Kerr was struck on the toe while batting, and subsequent scans revealed a fracture, requiring up to six weeks of rehabilitation. In her absence, Leigh Kasperek has been named as her replacement for the tour.

New Zealand women’s team head coach Ben Sawyer expressed his disappointment at Kerr’s injury, stating, “Picking up an injury so close to departure for a tour is always disappointing. Jess is a key part of our bowling group in both formats and will be missed on what will be a challenging tour. Jess has been working really hard over the winter, and we were excited to see how she would perform in new conditions for her, but we’re confident she will be back fit and ready for our next challenge after Sri Lanka.”

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Meanwhile, Kasperek returns to the New Zealand squad for the first time since the tour of England in 2021. With 39 ODIs and 46 T20Is under her belt, she has taken 65 and 75 wickets in the respective formats, placing her second on New Zealand’s all-time leading wicket-takers list in T20Is. Kasperek’s recent performances in domestic competitions for Wellington Blaze have been impressive.

“Leigh has had a challenging 18 months since the World Cup but has always been a player that has been on our radar,” stated Sawyer. “She’s been kept out of the side given the form of Fran (Jonas) and Eden (Carson), who have been performing consistently well, and those spin positions have probably been the most hotly contested in our team. With Leigh, Fran, Eden, and Melie (Kerr), we have strong depth in our spin bowling stocks, and ultimately, that’s the level of depth we want to get to in all positions. Leigh brings a wealth of international experience to the group, and I’m sure she will thrive in the Sri Lankan conditions if given an opportunity.”

The New Zealand women’s team is currently at NZC’s High Performance Centre in Lincoln for a training camp and is scheduled to depart for Sri Lanka on Thursday, preparing for the challenges that lie ahead.