Kane Williamson returns as New Zealand announce 15-man squad for the tour of West Indies
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have announced their limited-overs squads for their upcoming tour of the West Indies. The Kiwis will face the Caribbean men in three ODIs and as many T20Is from August 10 to 21 in Jamaica and Barbados.
Regular captain Kane Williamson has returned to the 15-man squad and will have an experienced core at his disposal, including Tim Southee, Devon Conway, and Trent Boult. The selectors have also decided to stick with Finn Allen and Michael Bracewell, who will receive further opportunities on the back of his recent form.
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Black Caps coach Gary Stead said they are excited to head to the Caribbean and see what challenges await them. Stead underlined that the West Indian tour will be crucial leading up to the T20 World Cup. He remains impressed with Bracewell and Finn, saying (as quoted by NZC):
"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."
He added:
"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.
"We also have players such as Michael and Finn who are relatively new to the international stage but have really put their hands up for selection when given opportunities. As a selector it’s been great to see these guys push their cases."
It will also be New Zealand's first tour to the West Indies since 2014 when the tourists played three Tests and two T20Is. The Kiwis, led by Brendon McCullum, clinched the Test series by 2-1 and drew in the shortest format eight years ago.
The Kiwis will arrive on the Caribbean Islands in two groups, with some traveling from New Zealand and a few from the Netherlands.
New Zealand's 15-man squad to face the West Indies
Our squad to take on @windiescricket this August. More | on.nzc.nz/3ztPQQ4 #WIvNZ https://t.co/uMs2PYzOVR
Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Mark Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.