New Zealand became the first team to announce its squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to commence in June this year.
This announcement sets a decisive tone for the mega-event that will be held in the USA and the Caribbean, with New Zealand taking an early lead in assembling their top players.
The squad revealed by ‘The Black Caps’, includes several familiar faces along with some promising talents. Captain Kane Williamson will lead the team, bringing his invaluable experience and leadership to the fore.
Joining him are stalwarts like Trent Boult and Tim Southee who will lead New Zealand’s pace attack. This will be the seventh T20 World Cup for Tim Southee which showcases his massive experience that can help the team.
The likes of Will O’Rourke, Tim Seifert, and Ben Sears missed out on selection despite some good recent performances against Pakistan in the recently concluded T20I series.
Selectors opted for young gun Rachin Ravindra instead of picking the in-form Colin Munro while Matt Henry will be the third fast bowler who will support the likes of Boult and Southee.
Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi will be the two mainstays in New Zealand’s spin bowling department while Glenn Phillips and Jimmy Neesham are there in the squad as pinch-hitting allrounders.
Devon Conway, Finn Allen, and Daryl Mitchell have been selected in the squad to provide blistering starts at the top order while Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell are there in the squad to provide stability in the middle order.
The Kiwis will also take young pacer Ben Sears to the USA and West Indies as a travelling reserve if required.
New Zealand’s proactive stance in naming their squad signals their intent to mount a strong challenge for the title, setting the stage for an exhilarating tournament later this year.
Kane Williamson’s men will face Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, and West Indies in their Group C, kickstarting their campaign against Afghanistan on June 8 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
New Zealand Squad:
| Kane Williamson | Mark Chapman | Michael Bracewell | Daryl Mitchell | Finn Allen |
| Devon Conway | Jimmy Neesham | Glenn Phillips | Mitchell Santner | Ish Sodhi |
| Rachin Ravindra | Matt Henry | Trent Boult | Tim Southee | Lockie Ferguson |
