WELLINGTON, 4 November (H.S.): New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert has been ruled out of the upcoming five-match T20 International series against the West Indies due to a fractured right index finger. New Zealand Cricket confirmed the news in a press release on Tuesday.Seifert sustained the injury while batting for Northern Districts against the Wellington Firebirds in a Ford Trophy match. Subsequent scans revealed a fracture, forcing him to withdraw from the series.

Head Coach Rob Walter expressed his disappointment over the injury. We're all gutted for Tim, Walter said. He's a vital member of our T20 squad. His aggressive batting at the top of the order and his wicketkeeping are both incredibly important to the team. We hope he recovers quickly and returns to the field soon.

Mitch Hay has been named as Seifert's replacement in the squad. Hay has played 11 T20 Internationals for New Zealand and holds the world record for the most dismissals in a single T20I innings, with six.

Mitch has performed excellently in his limited international opportunities so far, Walter added. He is a high-quality wicketkeeper-batsman and is a great example of the depth we have in the team.

The five-match T20 series against the West Indies is set to begin on Wednesday, November 5, at Eden Park in Auckland.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar