New Zealand suffered a significant blow to their cricket team's preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup as opener Tim Seifert has been sidelined due to injury. The wicketkeeper fractured his right index finger during a domestic match, ruling him out of the Twenty20 series against the West Indies.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced that Mitchell Hay would replace Seifert for the five-match series commencing in Auckland. Coach Rob Walter expressed his disappointment, acknowledging Seifert's importance to the squad.

Seifert, who has scored twelve fifties in 77 international outings, was crucial to New Zealand's World Cup campaign plans. His absence marks a challenge for the team as they aim for peak performance in the forthcoming global tournament.

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