Kyle Jamieson is back! The New Zealand squad is readying itself for a thrilling Twenty20 series against the West Indies, with Jamieson making a comeback after missing the ODI series against England due to a side injury. However, fellow paceman Matt Henry will be resting for this series.
Spinner Ish Sodhi also rejoins the squad for the five-match series, which kicks off in Auckland this Wednesday. This series presents coach Rob Walter with a crucial opportunity to evaluate his team before announcing a provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup in India early next year.
Henry, who was sidelined from the England series due to a calf injury, will be sitting out the series as part of a “pre-planned conditioning block”, according to New Zealand Cricket. This is to ensure he's in top form for the ODI and Test series against the West Indies later on.
In other news, former skipper Kane Williamson announced his retirement from the T20 format earlier on Sunday.
The Squad:
- Mitchell Santner (captain)
- Michael Bracewell
- Mark Chapman
- Devon Conway
- Jacob Duffy
- Zak Foulkes
- Kyle Jamieson
- Daryl Mitchell
- Jimmy Neesham
- Rachin Ravindra
- Tim Robinson
- Tim Seifert
- Nathan Smith
- Ish Sodhi
England's Ashes Worries?
Meanwhile, England coach Brendon McCullum doesn't foresee any lingering effects from England's disappointing 3-0 ODI series loss to New Zealand impacting their Ashes performance. He believes the batting struggles were specific to the ODI format and won't carry over to the Test series against Australia, starting in Perth on November 21.
Despite a century from Harry Brook, England's top order struggled to score sufficient runs in New Zealand, hindering their bowlers from putting pressure on the Black Caps.
McCullum, while disappointed by the whitewash in his homeland, remains optimistic about the Ashes. "I don't envisage it," McCullum told reporters in Wellington. "Obviously it's a different form of the game, and it's a completely different kind of challenge."