WTC final: New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner recalls valiant spell with fractured toes
New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner bowled with two fractured toes in a Test against Pakistan last December. The 35-year-old picked up two wickets from 28 overs, helping the Kiwis earn crucial points in the World Test Championship.
Wagner stated that it was 'awful' for him to bowl with two damaged toes as he constantly questioned himself as to why he was doing it. The fast bowler also touched upon his unparalleled skill of bowling lengthy spells of bouncers, insisting that his passion of representing New Zealand pushes him to newer heights.
"It was awful. I kept thinking, why am I doing it? But I wanted to be part of it all. We needed to win both Tests to get to the final, and it was about playing for the team. I’m glad I did it. I like to play with passion. I love playing for New Zealand. It’s not always easy to bowl long spells of short-pitched stuff but it’s something I take a lot of pride in," Neil Wagner told Daily Mail.
Currently ranked third in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers, Neil Wagner has 219 wickets to his name in the longest format. He has represented New Zealand in 51 Tests so far.
I wanted to offer something different to complement Trent Boult and Tim Southee: Neil Wagner
Neil Wagner's voracity is bookended by the subtle skills of Tim Southee and Trent Boult in New Zealand's bowling set-up. Wagner said he never tried to compete with the duo for a spot in the playing XI, but rather 'complimented' them with his skiddy bowling and ability to deliver long spells.
‘We’ve got two guys in the team in Trent and Tim who are extremely good with the swinging ball. Rather than try to compete with that, I wanted to offer something different, to complement them. The left-arm angle does help. There aren’t many lefties in the world who do it like me. I’m also a bit shorter, so the ball comes through quite skiddy," said Wagner.
Neil Wagner is currently in England preparing for the two-Test series against the host nation followed by the WTC final versus India.