New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Sunday confirmed that Kane Williamson will be leading the BlackCaps in the upcoming T20I and ODI series against the West Indies. Williamson will captain a squad with an experienced core, including Trent Boult and Tim Southee, combined with a group of newer players such as Finn Allen and Michael Bracewell, who receive further opportunities on the back of strong recent form.
With a tight tour schedule featuring six matches in 11 days across Jamaica (three T20Is) and Barbados (three ODIs), the selectors have looked to balance a combined squad across both formats.
The tour is also a vital part of the next cycle of ICC white ball tournaments, with the ICC T20 World Cup starting in Australia this October, and qualification points on the line for next year’s ODI World Cup in India.
BLACKCAPS head coach Gary Stead said the squad was looking forward to taking on the West Indies at home.
“It’s always exciting to be heading somewhere you’ve not been in a while and I know this group can’t wait for the challenge of taking on the West Indies in the Caribbean. Managing workloads is hugely important this year with the team playing some form of cricket every month in 2022 – and this applies to both players and staff,” said Stead in an official statement.
“For Kane, Trent, Tim, and Devon, this will be the first time they have played white ball cricket for New Zealand since last year’s T20 World Cup and tour to India – so this trip will be important for them,” he added.
Stead will be supported on the tour by Dean Brownlie as batting coach and Graeme Aldridge as bowling coach. The squad will arrive in two groups to Jamaica with some traveling from New Zealand and the balance from the Netherlands.
Promoted
T20I and ODI squad: Kane Williamson (c), Tim Southee, Fin Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.
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