New Zealand have announced their squad for the first of the two World Test Championship 2021-23 fixtures at home against South Africa, with the highlight being the comebacks of Colin de Grandhomme and Hamish Rutherford as well as the maiden call-ups to Cam Fletcher and Blair Tickner.
While De Grandhomme returns to the Test team following an elongated period out of the side due to injury, Rutherford makes a comeback after nearly a seven-year gap from his last Test outing in 2015 against Sri Lanka.
De Grandhomme has been brought back after a sustained period recovering from his foot injury. The 35-year-old had opted out of the Tests versus India in November and wasn’t also picked for the Bangladesh series in January. An integral member of the side when fit, the allrounder has been picked to balance the team against the Proteas.
“It’s pleasing to see Colin back in the Test side, having proved such an influential member before his foot injury last season.
His form of late shows he’s clearly benefited from simply getting back on the park consistently, and it’s great to have his allround skills and experience to call on,”
NZ head coach Gary Stead said in a media release.
Rutherford’s reinclusion has come on the back of two successive seasons of first-class cricket. Aged 32, the elegant left-hand batter is re-entering the Test squad after recording 371 runs in his four recent first-class outings for Otago.
The previous season he made 588 runs from his eight games. Stead called Rutherford’s comeback a “really exciting” one in context of the Test team going forward.
The selectors have also given Fletcher and Tickner a nod in the Test squad for the first time after their impressive run in this season of the Plunket Shield, New Zealand’s premier domestic first-class competition.
While Fletcher, a back-up wicketkeeping option to Tom Blundell, made 344 runs from his four games for Canterbury, Central Stags right-arm seamer Tickner bagged 14 scalps in just as many games of the tournament.
Veteran opener Tom Latham will be leading New Zealand again in the absence of regular skipper Kane Williamson, who continues his rehab for a persistent elbow issue.
The first Test against South Africa begins on February 17 in Christchurch, which will also host the second game from February 25.
