New Zealand pacer Matt Henry has been ruled out of the one-off Test against Ireland, the highest cricket governing body of the nation has confirmed on Wednesday (May 27) through an official press release.
Matt Henry, one of the most prominent pacers in the Blackcaps squad, will be conducting recovery sessions, keeping the high-profile England Test series in mind. Henry will join two other pacers, Will O’Rourke and Kyle Jamieson, in London for preparations.
NZC issues an official press release
According to the official press release, Matt Henry has been ruled out as he recovers from a low-grade left hamstring strain. To keep the talent fresh for the England tour, the New Zealand cricket board has decided to send him to London to start preparations for the Test series against England, which will start on Thursday, 4 June at Lord’s.
“Blackcaps fast bowler Matt Henry will miss the one-off Test against Ireland as he recovers from a low-grade left hamstring strain. Henry will join fellow fast bowlers Will O’Rourke and Kyle Jamieson in London as part of their prep for the first Test against England starting at Lord’s on Thursday, 4 June,” the official statement reads.
A brief update before the start of today's Test.#IREvNZ pic.twitter.com/yoShVP9rBa
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) May 27, 2026
New Zealand announced a pace-heavy squad for the Tests
On May 7, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced a squad to take on Ireland and England in the Whites. The pace-heavy squad is filled with top-tier talents. Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Nathan Smith, and Blair Tickner were among the seamers who were named for both of the tours.
Jacob Duffy, who is with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the IPL 2026, is not in the Test squad, as he is expected to remain in New Zealand as he and his wife await the birth of their first child.
As per the latest updates, Matt Henry is out of the one-off Test and will do preparations for the England Test series along with his contingents, Will O’Rourke and Kyle Jamieson.
Matt Henry to miss Test vs Ireland
The Ireland vs New Zealand one-off Test match is currently underway at the Stormont Cricket Ground in Northern Ireland. Ireland, the home team, chose to bowl first after winning the toss. Tom Latham, the skipper of the Blackcaps, is already back in the pavilion after being dismissed for a duck.
“I think from a Test match point of view, I guess the experience of playing more and more, you can only gain positive experiences from being in those situations… We play eight first-class games a year back home, which isn't a huge amount, but it's obviously a little more than Ireland plays,” Latham said before the match.
Ireland is also affected by an injury caused. The experienced batter, Paul Stirling, is not in the match because of a calf injury. Stirling has not batted since he suffered a knee ligament injury in Ireland's defeat by Australia at the T20 World Cup in February, BCC informed.
Read More: Sourav Ganguly approves Ajit Agarkar’s bold Prince Yadav selection over Auqib Nabi
