(Reuters) -New Zealand opener Tim Seifert has been ruled out of this month's Twenty20 series with West Indies after the wicketkeeper suffered a broken finger during a domestic match, the country's cricket governing body (NZC) said on Tuesday.
Mitchell Hay was called up to replace Seifert before the five-match bilateral series kicks off in Auckland on Wednesday, NZC said in a statement.
"Seifert retired hurt after being hit on the finger ... a subsequent X-ray revealed a fracture to the right index finger," it added.
New Zealand coach Rob Walter said Seifert, who has played 77 international matches in the format and scored 12 fifties, has been a key player as they prepare for next year's T20 World Cup, which begins in February.
"He showed in the recent T20 series that he’s building up to top form, so it’s disappointing that that has been halted as we continue to prepare for a pinnacle event," Walter said.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
