Wellington: New Zealand on Monday, unveiled their 15-player squad for the eagerly anticipated ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Kane Williamson will be leading the charge as captain of the Black Caps. The squad features the seasoned fast bowling duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult, adding depth and firepower to their bowling arsenal.
The Black Caps’ squad selection for the T20 World Cup saw few surprises, as key players like Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne were ruled out due to injuries. Despite recent impressive performances in white-ball cricket, players such as Will O’Rourke, Tom Latham, Tim Seifert, and Will Young missed out on selection.
Additionally, the absence of experienced top-order batsman Colin Munro may have raised eyebrows, but selectors opted for the inclusion of promising talents like Rachin Ravindra and Matt Henry, both set to make their debut appearances in a T20 World Cup.
In a bid to bolster their squad depth, New Zealand also included young pacer Ben Sears as a travelling reserve for the upcoming tours to the USA and West Indies.
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. Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead believes he has selected a well-balanced squad and is confident of a strong showing in the month-long tournament. “I’d like to congratulate everyone named today. It’s a special time representing your country at a world tournament. We expect the venues in the West Indies to offer quite varied conditions and feel we’ve selected a squad with the scope to adapt to those conditions,” Stead said as quoted by the ICC’s official website.
New Zealand’s first match at the T20 World Cup comes against Afghanistan in Guyana on June 7, with further Group C contests to follow with co-hosts West Indies, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
