In-form all-rounder Mitchell Santner will miss the upcoming Test series with England to undergo knee surgery, New Zealand Cricket said yesterday. Officials said Santner would be sidelined for six to nine months, which could also jeopardise planned stints in the Indian Premier League and English county cricket. 
The 26-year-old was omitted from New Zealand’s 12-man squad for the two-Test series against England starting at Eden Park on March 22. He was in fine form for the one-day series against England, hitting two half centuries. NZC said he felt some discomfort while playing and scans showed a “bone defect” had deteriorated and needed surgery. “Mitchell is a key player in all three formats for us, so we’ll certainly miss him in the upcoming series,” coach Mike Hesson said. “It’s important though that he gets this fixed and we have him back for what is a big next 18 months for us.”
There was some good news for New Zealand, with wicketkeeper BJ Watling returning from a hip injury. Batsman Ross Taylor was also named in the squad after missing the final ODI against England following a thigh injury that was aggravated during the previous match when he scored 181. “BJ is a proven performer at Test level for us and brings a lot to the group both on and off the field,” selector Gavin Larsen said. Spinning all-rounder Todd Astle has also been called into the squad as a like-for-like replacement for Santner.
New Zealand squad: Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (capt), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, BJ Watling, Todd Astle, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, Trent Boult

Rogers appointed Australia high performance coach
 Former Test opening batsman Chris Rogers was yesterday appointed as Cricket Australia’s new high-performance coach, tasked with helping develop the country’s next generation of stars. The 40-year-old called time on his 25-Test career after the end of the 2015 Ashes series and has been involved in multiple coaching roles since then.
“Chris brings thoughtfulness, persistence and passion to the role and combines this with a strong intellect,” said CA executive general manager of team performance Pat Howard. “We’re looking forward to having Chris work with Australia’s next generation and watching him develop as a coach. “We are confident he can have a big impact in moulding our rising stars into future international cricketers.” 
Rogers, who had a successful first-class career in Australia and England spanning almost two decades and more than 300 matches despite being colour blind, will concentrate on the batting alongside fellow high-performance coach Ryan Harris, who will develop the bowlers.