The Blackscaps has announced 15-member New Zealand Squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe T20I Tri-series in December where fast bowlers Matt Henry (shoulder injury) and Adam Milne has returned.
Henry has been sidelined due to injury since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Meanwhile Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson and Kyle Jamieson is unavailable as he awaits the birth of his first child.
Sears has been sidelined due to injury, while Ferguson has been rested citing workload management and Kyle Jamieson has taken leave as he awaits the birth of his first child.
With Devon Conway and Mitch Hay misses out, Tim Seifert takes over wicketkeeping duties. Apart from this, Kane Williamson is a notable absentee having made himself unavailable for selection.
Marking his first assignment, New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said, “I think we’ve got a really strong squad for this tour and I’m looking forward to getting the team together and getting into the work.”
“We’ve got some good experience in the side and it’s nice to be able to welcome back a few of the players who missed the March series against Pakistan because of the IPL.”
“It should be a great T20 Tri Series with South Africa who are a very strong side and Zimbabwe who play well at home in their own conditions,” he added.
Walter said that the tour will be a great opportunity for Bevon Jacob and also added that Adam Milne’s experience will make an impact in the absence of other crucial bowlers.
“Bevon’s been an outstanding performer in domestic cricket and has gained some experience in franchise leagues around the world, so it’ll be a good chance for him to get back into the squad and potentially play.
“Adam’s a really skilled T20 bowler, he’s particularly proficient with the ball up front and brings that extra pace and bounce. With the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears and Kyle Jamieson out it’s great to be able to lean on an experienced head in Adam,” he said.
Rob Walter believes that the tri-series importance in the lead up to the next year’s ICC T20 World Cup.
“With the T20 World Cup around the corner, all of our upcoming series are critically important to our build up. This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition,” he said.
New Zealand Squad: Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchel, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi
