Three uncapped players, along with a returning Tom Latham, have been named in the squad for the five-match home series against South Africa, beginning at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday (March 15).
Latham has returned to the T20I setup after a gap of nearly three years. The wicketkeeper-batter was the leading run-scorer for the Canterbury Kings in the Super Smash. He is set to lead the team as captain in the last two matches of the series, taking over from Mitchell Santner, who will skipper the side in the first three games.
Katene Clarke, Nick Kelly and Jayden Lennox are the uncapped players named in the squad.
Several senior players, including Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert, have been given a break following the World Cup. Matt Henry will also miss the series to spend time with his newborn child before heading to India for his IPL commitments.
“We’ve certainly had to be pragmatic in selecting this squad,” selector Gavin Larsen said in an NZC statement. “We’re lucky to have strong depth across the different skill sets, which has afforded us the opportunity to rest a few players and introduce some others. That provides an excellent opportunity for many to stake their claim for regular inclusion in the T20 team moving forward as we begin a new World Cup cycle.”
The series will begin at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday (March 15).
New Zealand Squad: Mitchell Santner (c) (Games 1–3), Katene Clarke (Games 4–5), Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver (wk) (Games 4–5), Devon Conway (wk) (Games 1–3), Lockie Ferguson (Games 2–3), Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Tom Latham (wk; captain for Games 4–5), Jayden Lennox (Games 4–5), Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi.
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