The Southland right-armer missed out on the Champions Trophy squad initially, but he has been called in to replace Wellington paceman Ben Sears, who has been ruled out with a hamstring complaint.
Sears felt some pain in his left hamstring during training on Wednesday and a subsequent scan revealed a minor tear that would require at least two weeks’ rehabilitation.
Black Caps head coach Gary Stead said the news was bitterly disappointing for Sears.
“We’re all really feeling for Ben,” he said.
“It’s always tough being ruled out of a major event at such a late stage, and it’s especially tough in Ben’s case given it would have been his first major ICC event.
“The timeframes for Ben to be fit to play again meant he would likely miss the majority of the group stage, and given the short nature of the tournament, we felt it was appropriate to bring in a player who is fully fit and ready to go.’’
Duffy is already with the Black Caps in Pakistan.
He was called into the squad as injury cover for Lockie Ferguson for the tri-nations series in Pakistan.
Ferguson picked up a hamstring complaint last week while playing for the Dessert Vipers in the International League T20 in Dubai and missed the Black Caps’ first two games of tri-nations series.
Duffy was unlucky not to be selected in the Champions Trophy squad in the first place.
He was outstanding during the recent home series against Sri Lanka. The 30-year-old grabbed four wickets in two ODIs and eight wickets in three T20s.
His four for 15 in the second T20 at Mount Maunganui highlighted his value to the side.
He can bowl the tough overs at the end and execute a plan at the top of the innings as well.
The Black Caps continue their Champions Trophy preparation with a warm-up fixture against Afghanistan in Karachi tomorrow, before beginning their Champions Trophy campaign in the opening match of the tournament against the hosts Pakistan on Wednesday.
■ The chance to watch the T20 World Champion White Ferns and the in-form Black Caps on the same day is proving a hit with New Zealand fans.
The Black Caps are hosting Pakistan in a five-game T20I series with the White Ferns facing Sri Lanka and the Australian women at the same venue on the same day, as double-headers return to the New Zealand Cricket home international schedule for the first time since 2019.
Dunedin’s University Oval is poised to be the first game sold-out with fewer than 500 tickets remaining for the March 18 fixtures, while the series opener at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on March 16 is heading in the same direction and set to be the second venue sold-out in advance.
The capacity at the University Oval is 4300. Big crowds are also expected for the final three games of the series: at Eden Park on March 21, Sky Stadium on March 23 and the series finale at Bay Oval on March 26.
The five T20I double-headers will be broadcast live and free in New Zealand on TVNZ 1 and TVNZplus.
