James Marshall called up for injured Astle

James Marshall, the New Zealand opener, has been included in the one-day squad as cover for Nathan Astle who is nursing an injured finger. Astle sustained the injury to his left ring finger during the second Test against Zimbabwe, in which he scored a fabulous 128 to take his team to an easy victory.

According to a press release, Astle's injury was not serious, but the finger had not shown improvement over the past few days. Marshall, who will return to Zimbabwe tomorrow, was in poor form during the Test series against Zimbabwe, scoring just 15 runs in two innings while his team mates plundered a toothless attack. He has represented New Zealand in just three ODIs and has just 23 runs to his name at an average of 7.66.

Zimbabwe and New Zealand will contest the first match of the triangular one-day tournament, which also includes India, on August 24. The round-robin stage comprises six matches before the final which is scheduled to be played at Harare on September 6.