There comes the surprise news from the Black Caps in the squad selection for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka. They named Tim Southee to lead the team while their premium players Kane Williamson and Trent Boult have been rested. Meanwhile, they gave chances for new players in order to try out for the upcoming ICC T20I World Cup 2020.
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Kane Williamson and Trent Boult are returning home after the two-Test series, which the Black Caps trail 1-0. Despite the absences, New Zealand will have plenty of experience for the three T20s in September, led by Southee, Ross Taylor, Colin Munro and Martin Guptill.
Tom Bruce returns:
Reflecting on the squad, New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said that their T20I team has been performing quite consistently over the past few years and, therefore, the upcoming series against Sri Lanka is a great opportunity to give rest to Williamson and Boult after the 2019 ICC World Cup.
“Following that amazing ride in the ODI World Cup, it’s exciting to begin setting our sights on another world event. The series in Sri Lanka will be a challenging one against a team who are tough to beat in their own conditions,” New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said in a statement.
He also said the series represented the start of a new T20 cycle, with nine T20Is series scheduled for the side ahead of next October’s World T20 in Australia.
“Our T20 team has been pretty consistent over the past couple of years and we’re really happy with the power and versatility we have in this squad. Kane and Trent played an enormous role in our recent World Cup campaign and with a big summer ahead, we see it as a good opportunity to give them a rest,” he added.
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All-rounder Jimmy Neesham and opener Martin Guptill, who starred when New Zealand won the first one-day international on Thursday, are also in the Twenty20 squad.
New Zealand’s 14-member squad:
Tim Southee (c), Todd Astle, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor.