Blackcaps fast bowler Trent Boult will miss the second and final test against South Africa in Christchurch, coach Gary Stead confirms.
Boult, 32, was an absentee as New Zealand secured a resounding victory over the Proteas in Christchurch by an innings and 276 runs inside three days.
The victory is New Zealand's third largest margin of victory in innings terms, and gives the Blackcaps an unassailable 1-0 lead in their quest for a maiden series victory over South Africa.
Coincidentally, it was Boult's replacement Matt Henry who proved to be the Blackcaps' hero, taking match figures of 9/55 - including 7/23 in the first innings - and scoring 58 not out in New Zealand's only innings with the bat in a man-of-the-match display.
Despite that though, Henry seemed odds-on to be the man to miss out if Boult returned, as the Blackcaps would seek to keep the World Test Championship winning pace quartet of Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner intact.
Henry will now likely be retained for the second test, unless the Blackcaps opt to hand a debut to Blair Tickner.
Speaking on Monday, Stead confirmed Boult would remain on the sidelines due to concerns over his workload after not playing any red ball cricket since the beginning of January, and not playing at all since a Twenty20 for Northern Districts on January 24.
The Blackcaps' 15-man squad will remain unchanged for the second test, also ruling out any chance for Ajaz Patel to play his first test since taking a 10-wicket haul against India at the end of 2021.
"Our squad will remain the same with the 15 we have," Stead says.
"Trent Boult's not in a position to be available for this test match, just with his loads and stuff, where he's at at the moment.
"Since his wife's been in the 'having the baby' sort of mode, he's missed a lot of opportunities to play cricket and bowl. We just felt the risk of him playing was far too great at the moment to do that to him."
Stead says that the decision to rest Boult for the second test is precautionary rather than form-related, with Boult's lack of gametime counting against him in the race for a spot in the playing XI.
The left-armer will still link up with the Blackcaps squad in Christchurch this week, though.
"Through discussions Trent and I had about a week ago now, we thought it would be unlikely that he'd be ready for this.
"He's going to be coming down [in] the next two days to get a bowl in with us, but again, you look at the likely loads he'll need through the test match, it would just put him in a very high injury risk.
"We're not prepared to do that."
The second test between the Blackcaps and South Africa begins on February 25 at Hagley Oval.
Join Newshub for live updates of the Blackcaps v South Africa from 11am Friday.
