New Zealand Squad: The New Zealand Cricket Board (NZC) has announced its 15-men-strong provisional squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA. The Kiwis have named Ben Sears as their 16th travelling reserve for the tournament.
Kane Williamson is back in the T20I side after he missed a couple of series due to the birth of his third child and ongoing IPL duties. The veteran batter would be leading the pack in the Caribbean and the USA.
The Black Caps have also rewarded Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra for their brilliant consistency over the past few months. Both the batters have been included in the side to take part in the coveted tournament, which begins on June 1.
“Rachin has made every post a winner in the past 12 months and it was exciting to see him continue that trajectory over the summer in the T20 format against Australia,” said Gary Stead, New Zealand coach.
Veteran pacers Trent Boult and Tim Southee have also been named in the T20I squad alongside Matt Henry, who hasn’t had the previous experience of playing in the T20 World Cup previously.
“Matt [Henry] has worked exceptionally hard on his skills across the phases of a T20 game to come back into selection consideration,” he said.
The likes of Adam Milne and Kyle Jamieson have, unfortunately, missed out due to their respective injury concerns. While Adam Milne continues his rehab after ankle surgery, Jamieson has been away from the sport for a long time due to a stress fracture in his lower back.
To cover the spin duties, the likes of Ish Sodhi and Michell Santner have been named in the squad. The two will be the spin protagonists while Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra can chip in to bowl a couple of quick overs in the middle.
Reflecting on the squad New Zealand have picked for the upcoming T20 World Cup, coach Gary Stead added, “We expect the venues in the West Indies to offer quite varied conditions and feel we’ve selected a squad with the scope to adapt to those conditions.”
Below is the New Zealand squad and Schedule for the T20 World Cup 2024:
New Zealand Squad for T20 World Cup 2024
Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears (travelling reserve)
New Zealand Schedule for T20 World Cup
| Matches | Date | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW ZEALAND vs AFGHANISTAN | Sat Jun 8, 2024 | 05:00 AM | Guyana |
| WEST INDIES vs NEW ZEALAND | Thur Jun 13, 2024 | 06:00 AM | Trinidad and Tobago |
| NEW ZEALAND vs UGANDA | Sat Jun 15, 2024 | 06:00 AM | Trinidad and Tobago |
| NEW ZEALAND vs PAPUA NEW GUINEA | Mon Jun 17, 2024 | 08:00 PM | Trinidad and Tobago |