Black Caps bowler Ben Sears. Photo: www.photosport.nz
Black Caps fast bowler Ben Sears admits he has learnt from being too eager to play and how that resulted in injuries.
Sears has been named in the New Zealand squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series against Australia next month.
He and Kyle Jamieson return to the squad and join Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes in the seam attack. Adam Milne, Will O'Rourke and Lockie Ferguson were unavailable because of injury.
Sears, whose career has been blighted with injuries, picked up a side strain during the winter and was unavailable for the tour of Zimbabwe.
The 27-year-old acknowledges that fast bowlers probably face more issues with their body.
"It's all part of it, getting injured, you want to bowl fast and try to run in and bowl hard and if you get injured you've got to live with it," Sears said.
His last game was in Major League Cricket in June and before that a couple of games for Yorkshire, while his last series for the Black Caps was the ODI series against Pakistan in April.
Wellington's Ben Sears Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Since making his debut for New Zealand in 2021, Sears has played 20 T20Is, four ODIs and just one Test.
"It is really annoying when you get injured but I'm pretty realistic about it, all you can do is go away and (work) with Chris Donaldson (strength and conditioning coach).
"He's brilliant, he gives you a great programme to get back and you just try and work from there."
Sears said he had made some adjustments to his action and learnt from previous mistakes.
"Last year I was probably a bit eager to get out there early and that probably snowballed a couple of injuries."
This year he has worked more on his base in the build-up to the New Zealand summer.
"It has been nice to have two and a half months now before going into a game to get some overs underneath you.
"I feel stronger now and ready for it."
And he will have to be up to speed straight away with the Australia series starting before domestic cricket does. However he feels he is ready.
"It's special every time you get to play against Australia because it's what you dream of doing as a kid, so just getting the opportunity to get out there and doing it again will be amazing."
Ben Sears. Photo: John Davidson / www.photosport.nz
Captain for the series is Michael Bracewell, who replaces the injured Mitchell Santner.
Bracewell said he had not faced Sears in the Wellington nets yet this spring.
"I've been away fortunately, so we'll save that for the coming weeks," he said.
However Bracewell is aware of how fearsome facing Sears can be in the nets.
"I've done that for a number of years now, you know it is going to be a battle but it sets you up well for the teams you come up against.
"I know he's worked really hard to get back and be firing on all cylinders, so I'm sure we'll see that in the series."
Black Caps T20I squad:
Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
Australia T20I squad:
Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
Chappell-Hadlee Trophy T20I Series:
1st T20I - Weds Oct 1 - 7.15pm - Bay Oval, Tauranga
2nd T20I - Fri Oct 3 - 7.15pm - Bay Oval, Tauranga
3rd T20I - Sat Oct 4 - 7.15pm - Bay Oval, Tauranga
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