Semifinal in 2022 T20 WC. | © Twitter (@ImTanujSingh)
New Zealand Cricket has picked a powerful 15-player squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, and it’s Matt Henry’s first time joining the team for this event. Kane Williamson will once again be leading the squad.
The squad includes: Kane Williamson (captain), 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, and Tim Southee. Ben Sears will be traveling with the team as a reserve player.
Matt Henry, who is currently playing for the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League, hasn’t played many T20 Internationals for New Zealand, just 17 so far. However, his bowling performance has gotten better in this format since he made a comeback last year after not being in the team for six years.
“Matt has put in a lot of effort to improve his skills in all aspects of T20 cricket, which is why he’s back in contention for selection,” said head coach Gary Stead.
Since Adam Milne is still sidelined due to an ankle injury, Matt Henry has secured his spot in the squad over Ben Sears.
In the fast bowling department, Henry will team up with Tim Southee and Trent Boult, who will be participating in their seventh and fifth T20 World Cups respectively, along with Lockie Ferguson.
Despite recovering from a thumb injury, Devon Conway has been selected for the squad and is expected to be the primary wicketkeeper over Finn Allen. Tim Seifert and Tom Blundell didn’t make it to the final squad.
Michael Bracewell, who led New Zealand to a 2-2 draw in the recent T20I series in Pakistan, will be a valuable addition to the World Cup squad. He had been out of action for most of 2023, including missing the 50-over World Cup in India.
Jimmy Neesham and Daryl Mitchell will be the pace-bowling allrounders while Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman can all roll their arm over in what are expected to be slow conditions in the Caribbean and the United States.
Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi reunite as the spin twins.
Similar to Henry, Ravindra is also gearing up for his debut appearance in the T20 World Cup. He caught the eye during the 50-over edition last year by scoring three centuries.
“Rachin has shown remarkable progress over the past year, and it’s been thrilling to see him maintain that momentum during the summer T20 matches against Australia,” commented Stead.
Stead’s support staff for the tournament includes Luke Ronchi as the batting coach and Jacob Oram as the bowling coach. James Foster will join as the assistant coach with a specific focus on fielding, as announced by NZC.
The New Zealand team is scheduled to depart for the tournament on May 23. They kick off their campaign against Afghanistan in Guyana on June 7.
