New Zealand's Champions Trophy preparations have suffered a setback with fast bowler Ben Sears ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury, just days before their opening match. Injury details The paceman experienced discomfort in his left hamstring during Wednesday's training session in Karachi. Subsequent medical examination revealed a minor tear, requiring a minimum two-week rehabilitation period. Impact on tournament availability The injury timeline would have kept Sears sidelined until New Zealand's final group stage match against India in Dubai on March 2. Given the tournament's compact schedule, team management opted for an immediate replacement. Recent form Sears, who participated in the ongoing tri-series in Pakistan, had struggled to make an impact, going wicketless across 16 overs while conceding 104 runs in his two appearances. Replacement named Jacob Duffy, already with the squad for the tri-series, has been confirmed as Sears' replacement for the Champions Trophy campaign. Management response New Zealand head coach Gary Stead expressed sympathy for the young pacer, stating: "We're all really feeling for Ben. It's always tough being ruled out of a major event at such a late stage, and it's especially tough in Ben's case given it would have been his first major ICC event." Stead explained the decision to name an immediate replacement: "The time frames for Ben to be fit to play again meant he would likely miss the majority of the group stage, and given the short nature of the tournament, we felt it was appropriate to bring in a player who is fully fit and ready to go." Future outlook Looking ahead, Stead remained optimistic about Sears' return, noting: "Ben is a player with huge potential and given the short rehabilitation time frame, we're sure he'll be fit and raring to go for the home series against Pakistan back in New Zealand."Original Article