--- title: "Lister gets ODI debut as Sears exits West Indies tour" description: "Left-arm spinner Cole Lister called up after Ben Sears’ ankle injury forces premature return from West Indies ODI leg." url: https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/lister-replaces-injured-sears-for-odi-series-in-the-west-ind-ee066ede published: 2026-07-03T07:30:37.194+00:00 updated: 2026-07-03T07:30:37.194+00:00 author: "Kostadin Stamboliev" publisher: "Pineido" site: "Sportopod" language: en topics: ["cricket"] --- # Lister gets ODI debut as Sears exits West Indies tour > Left-arm spinner Cole Lister called up after Ben Sears’ ankle injury forces premature return from West Indies ODI leg. New Zealand have drafted left-arm spinner Cole Lister as an ODI replacement after seamer Ben Sears flew home from the West Indies with persistent ankle pain that flared since May’s Test against Ireland. Sears, New Zealand’s strike ODI bowler, exited the tour on Tuesday after scans confirmed the injury’s severity. He had already missed the first two ODIs in Guyana with the issue, and his departure leaves a gaping hole in the attack ahead of the next two fixtures in Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday and Monday. Lister, 28, earns his first senior call-up after 14 first-class wickets at 24.64 this season for Canterbury. The selectors bypassed fellow spinners Matt Henry and Ish Sodhi, opting for the left-arm angle to counter West Indies’ power-hitters. Lister’s List A record of 34 wickets at 26.50 in 28 games underpins the gamble. New Zealand Cricket confirmed the squad change late Wednesday, with Lister joining the team in Trinidad on Thursday. Head coach Gary Stead acknowledged the squad’s injury toll: “We’re managing a lot of niggles right now. Ben’s situation is unfortunate, but we have to adapt.” The selection reflects broader strategic shifts in New Zealand’s ODI approach. With power-hitters like Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer in West Indies’ lineup, the hosts’ left-handed middle order has repeatedly exploited right-arm seamers. Lister’s presence offers a tactical tweak: his left-arm spin can disrupt the rhythm of right-handers, a move that mirrors England’s recent use of spin-friendly surfaces to blunt similar threats. Lister’s domestic pedigree is solid but unremarkable by global standards. His first-class average sits above 24, a figure that ranks him in the top quartile of New Zealand domestic spinners this season but below the elite tier. The gamble hinges on his ability to handle the step up: only two New Zealand spinners have made successful ODI debuts in the last five years, underscoring the rarity of such transitions. The absence of Sears disrupts the attack's equilibrium, specifically removing the primary wicket-taking threat during the powerplay overs. As the designated strike bowler, Sears provided the early incisions that allowed spinners to exploit the middle overs; replacing him with a left-arm spinner forces the captain to defend rather than attack from the outset. This structural adjustment places immense pressure on the remaining seamers to execute yorkers and bouncers without their primary enforcer, potentially exposing the team's death bowling vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the injury management timeline raises questions about the medical staff's handling of Sears' workload, given the ankle issue dates back to the Ireland series in May. Allowing a strike bowler to travel to the Caribbean only to withdraw after the squad selection suggests a disconnect between fitness assessments and match readiness. This reactive pattern of replacements is becoming a hallmark of the current tour cycle, forcing the coaching staff to constantly integrate new personnel rather than refining established combinations. What's next: New Zealand face West Indies in the third ODI on Saturday at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago, with Lister set to make his international debut. ## Why this matters Ben Sears’ exit strips New Zealand of their strike ODI bowler midway through a tough away series, forcing a raw spinner into the deep end. The squad’s fragility across formats is now impossible to ignore: every replacement call-up tests a unit already stretched thin by injury and fixture congestion. The tactical shift toward left-arm spin also signals a recognition that conventional seam-heavy attacks are struggling against modern power-hitters, a trend that could reshape New Zealand’s ODI planning beyond this series. This constant churn prevents the side from establishing a settled core, a critical failure for a team aiming to rebuild for the next World Cup cycle. ## Frequently asked ### Why was Ben Sears ruled out of the West Indies ODI series? Sears’ persistent ankle pain, first aggravated during May’s Test against Ireland, flared up again in the West Indies and forced scans that ruled him out for the remainder of the ODI leg. ### Who has replaced Ben Sears in the ODI squad? Left-arm spinner Cole Lister has been called up as Sears’ replacement; the 28-year-old earns his first senior call-up after strong domestic performances for Canterbury. ### When does Cole Lister make his ODI debut? Lister is expected to make his ODI debut on Saturday when New Zealand play the third ODI against West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago. ### How has New Zealand’s injury crisis affected the squad? Sears’ exit is the latest in a string of injuries that have stretched New Zealand’s resources across formats, forcing selectors to rely on uncapped or fringe players for key series. ### What is Cole Lister’s domestic record ahead of the call-up? Lister has taken 14 first-class wickets at 24.64 this season and 34 List A wickets at 26.50 in 28 games, underpinning his selection as the left-arm spin option. ### Where are the next ODIs between New Zealand and West Indies being played? The third and fourth ODIs are scheduled for Saturday and Monday in Trinidad and Tobago, with the fifth ODI in Grenada on July 14. ## Sources & Citations - [Lister replaces injured Sears for ODI series in the West Indies](https://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/1543929.html?ex_cid=OTC-RSS) — ESPNCricinfo (2026-07-02) --- Cite: Lister gets ODI debut as Sears exits West Indies tour. Sportopod, 2026-07-03. https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/lister-replaces-injured-sears-for-odi-series-in-the-west-ind-ee066ede