3 Nov 2013

McCullum forced home with back problems

6:16 pm on 3 November 2013

The New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum is returning home from the tour of Bangladesh earlier than expected because of injury.

McCullum was due to play the final one dayer and the Twenty20 match against Bangladesh before returning to New Zealand to prepare for the upcoming West Indies test series.

McCullum has ongoing back problems and these have flared up again, causing him significant pain.

New Zealand team physiotherapist Paul Close says McCullum has had an MRI scan and now needs to return home for rehabilitation.

The veteran pace bowler Kyle Mills will captain the side for the rest of the Bangladesh tour, including the one-off Twenty20 match, and for the Sri Lankan leg of the tour.