Matt Henry Granted Parental Leave, Set to Leave New Zealand Camp After England Clash

In a big update for New Zealand Cricket, star bowler Matt Henry has been granted parental leave. He will leave the New Zealand camp after their match against England cricket team to be present for the birth of his and his wife’s second child. It is worth noting that New Zealand’s clash against England is absolutely crucial, as a win would mean qualification to the knockout stages of the tournament for the Black Caps. Interestingly, if New Zealand manage to qualify for the knockouts, Matt Henry might make his return back to the squad. 

Matt Henry Granted Parental Leave Ahead of Crucial Match

New Zealand’s head coach Rob Walter came forward and extended his support towards Matt Henry as he prepares to welcome his second child. “Firstly, we’re all very excited for Matt and Holly on the arrival of their second child. It’s a very significant moment for their family and we’re wishing them all the best,” Rob Walter was quoted as saying by NZC. 

“There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge but we’re hopeful that the stars align for the team and for Matt and that we’ll see him back competing in the final phases of the competition,” he added. 

Speaking about the match, England cricket team and New Zealand national cricket team faced each other in the Super 8 stage of the tournament at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The game started well for New Zealand as they won the toss and chose to bat first. 

“We're going to have a bat first. You have to win games if you want to win a WC. Nice to have a run on this wicket the other night. We know what it's going to do. Does look the same. Looked good last game and spun more than we thought. If it plays the same, we’ll stick to similar plans. But if it’s flatter, we’ll adjust accordingly. Yeah, we’re kind of used to that in New Zealand - playing with wind factors and different dimensions.. You try and use the dimensions in your favour. Same team,” Mitchell Santner said at the toss.