New Zealand will have let go their pacer Matt Henry on a parental leave after their final Super 8 clash against England in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced on Friday. Henry and his wife are expecting their second child.
Henry has been New Zealand’s joint-highest wicket-taker in this edition of the T20 World Cup with six wickets from five innings at an economy rate of 7.38. This is the second instance in the New Zealand setup that a player has been granted a parental leave.
Earlier, Lockie Ferguson took a break from the national commitments, when he was granted paternity leave just before their group stage match against Canada. Ferguson rejoined the side and was a part of the winning side against Sri Lanka in a Super 8 clash on February 25.
“BLACKCAPS pace-bowler Matt Henry will depart the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tonight following the team’s Super 8 match against England for the birth of him and his wife’s second child,” a statement from NZC read. It is important to note that Henry will return to the T20 World Cup 2026 only if New Zealand qualifies for the semifinals.
Meanwhile, New Zealand have won the toss and opted to bat first at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Kiwis went with an unchanged playing XI while England made a solitary change by bringing in Rehan Ahmed in place of Jamie Overton.
England vs New Zealand playing XIs
England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Harry Brook(c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
New Zealand: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner(c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson
Why ENG vs NZ is important for New Zealand?
With England already in the semifinals and Sri Lanka eliminated from the race, it’s come down between New Zealand and Pakistan. With three points from two games, New Zealand are placed second in the Group 2 table while Pakistan are third with just a point from two games. Notably the Pakistan vs New Zealand clash in the Super 8 was washed out.
All New Zealand needs is a win against England which will be enough for them to book the third spot in the semi-final. A New Zealand would also show Pakistan the exit route. In case New Zealand lose against England, it would give Pakistan a chance to beat Sri Lanka in their final encounter and beat New Zealand on the net run rate (NRR). If New Zealand lose and Pakistan win, it would put both teams on three points. The NRR will come into play.
