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New Zealand have announced a 13-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh. As many as six main Black Caps players are not part of the T20I outfit as they have been given a break to spend time with their family before leaving for the Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts from April 9.
Players who have been given rest are skipper Kane Williamson, batsman Tim Seifert, fast bowler Trent Boult, left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, all-rounders Kyle Jamieson and James Neesham.
“The six guys who will miss this series are incumbents in our T20 side, and the decision to give them some time at home with family before they embark on a long stint in India was principally made with their welfare in mind,” said selector Gavin Larsen as quoted by Cricbuzz.
In the absence of star players, Finn Allen and Will Young have received their maiden call-ups. At the same time, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne have made their return to the squad after injury lay-offs.
Allen had a tremendous season in the Super Smash 2021, finishing as the leading run-getter with 512 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 193.
On the other hand, Young, who made his Test and ODI debut in the current season, ended the Super Smash with 297 runs, including one hundred and a couple of half-centuries for Central Districts.
Similarly, Milne hasn’t featured for the national team since November 2018. He was recently spotted in Big Bash League (BBL) 2021, plying his trade for Sydney Thunder. He played 12 matches and picked up five wickets at an economy of 7.56.
Meanwhile, Ferguson last played against West Indies in the T20I series opener, where he finished with an impressive performance of 5/21 before getting sidelined due to a back injury.
“Exciting time for Finn, who will be getting his first taste of the Black Caps environment. His Super Smash campaign with the Firebirds was nothing short of outstanding, and we believe he has the skills to succeed at the next level. We’re delighted to see Lockie and Adam return after working really hard to get back to this point. They are two of the premier fast bowlers in world cricket, and it’s fantastic to be able to call on their services in what is shaping as a big year of T20 cricket,” added Larsen.
Here is New Zealand’s T20I squad:
Tim Southee (c), Hamish Bennett, Mark Chapman, Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Will Young, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne.
