ENG vs NZ: New Zealand to release pacer Matt Henry after T20 World Cup 2026 game against England in Colombo; here's why

New Zealand will have let go their pacer Matt Henry on a parental leave after their final Super 8 clash against England in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced on Friday. Henry and his wife are expecting their second child.

Henry has been New Zealand's joint-highest wicket-taker in this edition of the T20 World Cup with six wickets from five innngs at an economy rate of 7.38. This is the second instance in the New Zealand setup that a player has been granted a parental leave.

Earlier, Lockie Ferguson took a break from the national commitments, when he was granted paternity leave just before their group stage match against Canada. Ferguson rejoined the side and was a part of the winning side against Sri Lanka in a Super 8 clash on February 25.

“BLACKCAPS pace-bowler Matt Henry will depart the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tonight following the team’s Super 8 match against England for the birth of him and his wife’s second child,” a statement from NZC read.

Meanwhile, New Zealand have won the toss and opted to bat first at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Kiwis went with an unchanged playing XI while England made a solitary change by bringing in Rehan Ahmed in place of Jamie Overton.

New Zealand: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner(c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson

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