WELLINGTON, Nov 7: New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin has pulled out of the one-day squad for the series against South Africa and Australia because of a knee injury. Franklin, who has been out of cricket for the last six months because of the injury, will have surgery on his knee later this month, Cricket New Zealand said on Wednesday.

The Dominion Post reported that Franklin’s rehabilitation could take four to six months after the injury flared again in a trial match for his provincial team Wellington.

New Zealand starts the first of two Tests against South Africa in Johannesburg on Thursday, followed by a Twenty20 match on Nov 23 and a three-match one-day series starting on Nov 25.

New Zealand is also due to play Australia in a one-day series in December and Bangladesh and England in home series early next year.—AFP