McCullum injury prevents return to Middlesex

Middlesex will not be able to call on Brendon McCullum for Tuesday’s T20 Blast quarter-final.

The New Zealander, who scored 132 runs in five innings in the group stage, is struggling with a back injury, which requires surgery.

McCullum carried the problem during the month he spent with Middlesex in June, and his symptoms worsened while playing in the Caribbean Premier League.

Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, said: “I have been in regular contact with Brendon whilst he was at the Caribbean Premier League and was aware that he was struggling with his back.

“The short nature of a T20 means there is always the temptation to play someone when they have an injury but Brendon felt he could not do himself justice and did not want to risk letting the team down in such an important game.

“He has been having regular injections and dosing up on pain killers for some time just to get by, which is not particularly good for you.

“As a club we have not had a lot of luck with injuries in the past couple of weeks. Seven first XI players have been forced to miss cricket or play in discomfort for one reason or another.

“But we will travel to Northampton on Tuesday with an excited and extremely capable squad.

“These are the sort of games we wanted to be involved in when we discussed our goals at the start of the season and we will give it everything we have got.”