Southee will not feature in the upcoming Twenty20 series against Pakistan

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New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee will miss the upcoming three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan due to a left foot injury.

Southee injured his foot during the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Nelson and there were hopes that he would recover in time for the series against Pakistan. However, that was not to be the case as a CT scan revealed some serious bruising.

New Zealand have not set a date on when they believe Southee will make his comeback, but batting coach Craig McMillan revealed that the aim was to have the 27-year-old back in action during the ODI series against Australia, which starts on February 3.

“It’s something that will take a wee while to get right,” McMillan said. “I’m not exactly sure of the time frame – whether it’s two to three weeks – as to where he is at. The plan in place, fingers crossed, is that hopefully he’ll be back for the end of the season – back firing for the Australia series.”

While Southee’s absence will be a major blow for New Zealand, McMillan is confident that the other pace bowlers in the side will step up and deliver.

“It’s reassuring to have those options,” McMillan said. “One of the great things from this series against Sri Lanka has been the form of Matt Henry. That shows a confidence to come into the set-up and perform straight away.”

The first Twenty20 International between New Zealand and Pakistan will be held on Friday in Auckland.