New Zealand's Tom Latham to skip World Cup warm-ups with finger injury

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham is all set to miss his side's two warm-up matches ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup due to an injury. 

Latham sustained a finger injury while wicket-keeping during a match against an Australia XI side before heading to England and Wales for the quadrennial event.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson now confirmed that the 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman would not be able to play two pre-tournament warm-up games against India and West Indies. 

"Tom won't be available for the first two warm-up games. We are hoping he progresses nice and quickly and we will have to address it as the days go by," the ICC quoted Williamson as saying during the Captains' Day on Thursday in London, where the captains of all ten teams participating in the 2019 World Cup congregated. 

As a result, uncapped back-up keeper Tom Blundell is likely to replace Latham in the New Zealand squad for the two World Cup warm-up matches.

It is now to be seen whether Latham will be fit in time for the 2019 ICC World Cup, where New Zealand will begin their campaign against Sri Lanka on June 1 in Cardiff.