Southee is desperately awaiting the opportunity to make his international comeback

New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee is nearing his international return after spending two months on the sidelines due to a thumb injury he sustained.

Southee recently represented Northern Districts in a Plunket Shield match against Wellington and despite admitting that his thumb was still a “bit stiff”, the seamer was pleased to be on the road back to regaining his spot in the national team.

“It’s all looking promising,” Southee was quoted as saying by Fairfax NZ News. “I spoke to the surgeon last week and he’s pretty confident, [the thumb has] recovered more quickly than he expected.

“It’s not at full range yet, it’s still a bit stiff in some movements. It may still take another month or so for it to get back to being free like it was beforehand. But it feels reasonably strong, so unless I get a ball on the thumb I’m pretty sure it’s going to get through.”

Southee last represented New Zealand during their two-Test tour of Sri Lanka, which ended as a 1-1 draw before he returned home to New Zealand to witness the birth of his first child, causing him to miss the national team’s Twenty20 series against South Africa.

Southee was scheduled to join the rest of the New Zealand team prior to the start of their Test series against South Africa, but failed to do so after picking up a thumb injury in a Plunket Shield game.

The pace bowler described the injury as a serious one.

“I’m excited to get back out there,” he said. “It’s probably the longest layoff I’ve had.

“There wasn’t a break but I ripped the ligaments clean off the bone. It was in a full cast for two and a bit weeks, then a splint for a while after that. Four or five weeks after surgery I was back into a bit of bowling, and I was also able to do some running and gym work.”

Southee has continuously pleaded his case to return to the international arena throughout the course of the England series, but he has failed to play a single game.

“I’ll play this game and keep in touch with the New Zealand medical staff and Brendon [McCullum, the captain] and Mike [Hesson, the coach] as well,” he said. “I guess it’s up to them what they want to do.”