New Zealand Cricket on Monday announced the squad for the T20 World Cup 2021, set to be played in UAE from October 17. Kane Williamson will lead a settled T20 World Cup squad featuring a three-strong frontline spin attack of Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Todd Astle, backed up by Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips.
Jimmy Neesham and Daryl Mitchell are the seam bowling all-rounders supporting pace spear-heads Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson and Kyle Jamieson.
Tim Seifert will keep wickets and open the batting with Martin Guptill, while Devon Conway fills out the top order and is set to feature in his first white-ball World Cup.
Adam Milne has been selected as the 16th man and will join the squad for the tournament but can only be called upon in the event of an injury.
NZ squad for T20 World Cup and India T20Is
Kane Williamson (c), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee.
Players in the 16-strong squad for the T20 World Cup were not considered for the five T20s against Bangladesh starting September 2, or the three ODIs in Pakistan beginning September 17.
However, Guptill, Chapman, Mitchell, Astle and Sodhi will join the team in Pakistan for the five T20s starting September 25, while those BLACKCAPS involved in the prematurely-suspended IPL21 will be allowed to re-join their franchises in the lead up to the World Cup.
With an eye to the Test matches against India in November and December, Devon Conway and Tim Southee will link up with the squad directly from New Zealand in early October.
Tom Latham will captain the teams to Bangladesh and Pakistan and will have the experience of Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell and Will Young to call on across the tours.
There’s also an alternative coaching staff for the first two tours with regular Wellington Firebirds coach Glenn Pocknall leading Graeme Aldridge (bowling coach) and Melbourne based Tilan Samaraweera (batting coach), while regular assistant Shane Jurgensen re-joins for the Pakistan T20 series, before head coach Gary Stead and batting coach Luke Ronchi join up for the T20 World Cup in early October, and stay through to the Indian Tests in December. Samaraweera previously assisted the New Zealand men’s team on their tour to Sri Lanka in August 2019.
There are maiden call-ups for 23-year-old Wellington Firebirds speedster Ben Sears and Canterbury captain Cole McConchie.
New Zealand’s squad for Bangladesh T20Is & Pakistan ODIs
Tom Latham (c/wk), Finn Allen, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry (ODI only), Scott Kuggeleijn, Cole McConchie, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears (T20 only), Blair Tickner, Will Young
Coaching Staff: Glenn Pocknall, Graeme Aldridge and Tilan Samaraweera.
New Zealand’s squad for Pakistan T20Is
Tom Latham (c/wk), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Ajaz Patel, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears, Blair Tickner and Will Young.
Coaching Staff: Shane Jurgensen, Glenn Pocknall, Graeme Aldridge and Tilan Samaraweera.
The first Black Caps squad will depart for Bangladesh on 23 August and players from the Test tour of India will return home and complete managed isolation before Christmas.