Wellington wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi will replace an injured Kane Williamson for the remainder of New Zealand's tour to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Ronchi, who has played six one-day internationals for the Black Caps after earlier representing Australia, comes in for Williamson after he fractured his left thumb in the first ODI against Bangladesh early on Wednesday.
Williamson dislocated his thumb in the 35th over while fielding at point in New Zealand's 43-run loss to Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Black Caps physiotherapist Paul Close says Williamson is returning to New Zealand to begin rehabilitation, and is about six weeks away from playing again.
The injury rules him out of the rest of the three-match ODI series and Twenty20 match against Bangladesh and the subsequent ODI and T20 series in Sri Lanka.
Williamson is also in doubt for the first Test against the touring West Indies starting in Dunedin on December 3.
He was a standout performer with the bat in the drawn Test series against Bangladesh, scoring 62, 114 and 74 in his three innings to lift his Test average to just under 35 after 27 appearances.
Williamson's absence from the Sri Lanka leg of the tour creates a conundrum for New Zealand Cricket selection head Bruce Edgar and coach Mike Hesson, who had earmarked him as captain in the absence of skipper Brendon McCullum and former captain Ross Taylor.
That pair were to fly home after the Bangladesh matches to prepare for the West Indies' visit.
Edgar told Radio LiveSport captaincy options will be reviewed in conjunction with Hesson.
"We've got ahead of ourselves in a way, because part of the planning for Ross and Brendon coming back was to provide leadership opportunities to guys like Kane.
"We'll have a discussion about plan B."
