New Zealand faced a major setback ahead of the Champions Trophy as the fast-bowling all-rounder Lockie Ferguson has been battling a hamstring injury. He succumbed to the discomfort while playing in the ILT20 in the UAE, and thus he became unavailable for the tri-series against South Africa and the host Pakistan. The Desert Vipers skipper, Ferguson, suffered from the injury while bowling during the qualifier match against Delhi Capitals and had to leave the field midway. Later, Pakistan-born Mohammad Amir completed the remaining over. Worried about the seriousness of the injury, Ferguson had scans the next day, and New Zealand head coach Gary Stead confirmed that they are still waiting for additional reports. Stead reported, "Lockie had a scan yesterday [Thursday] in the UAE...We've got the images here and [we are] waiting for our radiologist to give us a report on the extent of it. Small hamstring injury, by the look of it, so we're just waiting on a timeline of advice around that before we make a decision on whether Lockie travels here [Pakistan] or whether we do have to replace him for the Champions Trophy." Read also: Sehwag Hopes to See Yuvraj Singh Join ILT20, Calls Him "Sixer Man" Ferguson’s Injury Raises New Zealand Concerns Ferguson’s absence continued in the Eliminator against Sharjah Warriors, where Sam Curran took over as captain. His unavailability for multiple matches is causing concern within the New Zealand camp, especially with the Champions Trophy looming. New Zealand’s opening match against co-hosts Pakistan on February 19 is fast approaching, making Ferguson’s recovery timeline crucial. As one of the senior bowlers, Ferguson’s potential absence could heavily impact New Zealand’s pace attack. Jacob Duffy has been placed on standby as a precaution, potentially replacing Ferguson if he's ruled out. The Tri-Series, beginning on February 8, will allow New Zealand to evaluate their bowling options. However, Ferguson's injury has introduced uncertainty, prompting a reassessment of strategies before the ICC event.