BlackCaps white-ball captain Mitchell Santner and star all-rounder Rachin Ravindra will return for the upcoming KFC T20I series against England, while Ben Sears and Kane Williamson will miss the series.Both players Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra had missed the recent T20I series against neighbouring rivals Australia.
New Zealand’s star batsman Kane Williamson will not participate in the upcoming T20I series against England. The three-match series is scheduled to start on October 18 in Christchurch. Kane Williamson last played for New Zealand during their Champions Trophy final loss to India in March. Captain Mitchell Santner, who has been recovering from an abdominal surgery, will lead the Black Caps.
It’s great to have Mitchell Santner back- Rob Walter
Rachin Ravindra returns to the side after being ruled out of the recent series against Australia with a facial injury, while Mitchell Santner has recovered from his recent abdominal surgery to lead the side in the three-game series which gets underway at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday.
Kane Williamson, who returned from overseas on Thursday, will target a return to international cricket during the ODI series against England, which gets underway in his hometown of Tauranga on Sunday October 26. Ben Sears will also miss the England series after he suffered a left-hamstring injury during training last week, with a subsequent MRI scan revealing a hamstring tear which will require three to four weeks to recover.
Jimmy Neesham, who impressed against Australia when he was called in as a late replacement for Ravindra, has been selected as the seam-bowling all-rounder, alongside the same pace-bowling group of Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, and Kyle Jamieson. Michael Bracewell joins Santner in the spin department, with Ish Sodhi missing out from the previous squad. Wicket-keeper Tim Seifert will take the gloves and joins the same batting unit that faced Australia. BlackCaps coach Rob Walter said the series was another important step for the T20 team.
“Fresh from taking on Australia it’s great to have another world class team arrive on our shores,” he said.
“We know what an exciting brand of cricket Harry Brook and his T20 boys play and I’m sure our guys are looking forward to meeting that challenge head on.
“It’s awesome to hear the first game at Hagley Oval is about to sell-out and that will make for a fantastic occasion to start the series on Saturday night.”
Walter welcomed the return of Ravindra and Mitchell Santner to the squad and said he was also looking forward to adding Williamson to the group later in the tour.
“It’s great to have Mitch back. Alongside being our leader, he’s one of the very best white-ball spinners in the world and his skills and experience will be a welcome addition.
“Likewise, it’s nice to welcome back Rachin who was unlucky to miss out on Australia and I know is really excited for this series.
“Kane had to overcome a minor medical issue in the past month, and we agreed he needs some more time to get himself physically ready to return.
“He’s obviously a world class player and we’re hoping these two weeks will ensure he’s ready for the ODIs against England and the following tour by West Indies.
“Ben had some discomfort while bowling last Tuesday and the subsequent hamstring tear ruled him out of contention for this series. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back in the mix in the near future”
The Blackcaps assemble in Christchurch on Wednesday for the three-game KFC T20I series which begins at Hagley Oval on Saturday night.
New Zealand’s squad:
Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert.
England’s tour of New Zealand:
Oct 18 – 1st T20I, Christchurch
Oct 20 – 2nd T20I, Christchurch
Oct 23 – 3rd T20I, Auckland
Oct 26 – 1st ODI, Mount Maunganui
Oct 29 – 2nd ODI, Hamilton
Nov 1 – 3rd ODI, Wellington