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New Zealand announce a 15-man squad, with Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra ready to participate in their debut T20 World Cup.
Devon Conway is included to New Zealand’s initial 15-man 2024 T20 World Cup team, which Kane Williamson will be leading. Fast bowler Adam Milne, though, is out because of an ankle injury.
The roster also includes veterans Tim Southee and Trent Boult, with Southee set to compete in his sixth T20 World Cup.
Rachin Ravindra and Matt Henry are the only squad members who have never played in a T20 World Cup.
Ben Sears has been named as the 16th travel reserve.
New Zealand Team: Conway picked for Williamson-led New T20 World Cup team
Conway will not play in the IPL while he heals from a thumb injury he sustained in February.
Conway went to India to train with the Chennai Super Kings in spite of being exclusion from the IPL. He resumed batting and practiced wicketkeeping. He may start as New Zealand’s starting wicketkeeper and opener in the World Cup.
Williamson, meanwhile, returns to lead the side after missing New Zealand’s last two T20I series, the home series against Australia in February due to the birth of his third child and the Pakistan tour due to IPL commitments.
After having surgery on his injured ankle, Milne was declared ineligible, and thus missed the tour of Pakistan. New Zealand coach Gary Stead said Milne’s injury, as sad as it was, made the selectors’ job easier in terms of choosing the final 15.
“I think the injury to Adam Milne was really tough on him but it probably made it easier for us in some ways in terms of getting the squad that we wanted,” he said.
“We rapidly realized that he needed ankle surgery. Thankfully, he have expertise it, but he will be absent for 10 to twelve weeks.”
In addition, Kyle Jamieson is not playing due to his recuperation from a second stress fracture in his lowerback.
Finn Allen has recovered from the back issue that prevented him from taking part in the Pakistan trip. Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, and Ish Sodhi are the only players from the tour to have made the New Zealand squad.
Stead admitted that it was difficult to tell some of the players who had performed well in the 2-2 draw series in Pakistan that they would miss out on the World Cup, but he emphasized that it bodes well for New Zealand’s future.
New Zealand Squad for T20 World Cup
Stead acknowledged that the selectors had considered recalling veteran batters Colin Munro and Martin Guptill, despite the fact that both were full-time franchise players. However, the selectors chose to continue with a group that has been together frequently in recent months.
“Those guys were discussed because of the experience they have,” Stead went on to say. “But when you look at the group of batters that we’ve selected, there was no room for them.”
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ben Sears (traveling reserve).
