Kiwi captain Kane Williamson is set to return to the squad following a five-month injury-related absence. The player has been included in the Black Caps’ 20-man squad for their upcoming Test series against England, which will begin three days after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League final, on June 2.
Three uncapped players, Cam Fletcher, Blair Tickner, and Jacob Duffy, have all been selected as well, most likely as potential cover for those players who will be involved in IPL 2022. When the absentees return, it is likely that the squad will subsequently be trimmed down, in time for the first Test as Lord’s.
Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Williamson is set to return to the squad following a five-month absence, which also saw him miss legendary batsman and long-time associate Ross Taylor’s farewell game, as the veteran retired from all formats of international cricket, calling time on an illustrious career.
However, he will be making a delayed return to the side, as will Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Devon Conway, all of whom will be occupied in the IPL.
“The red-ball tour of England first up is clearly high on our priority list and we’re looking forward to hitting the ground running over there in a couple of weeks’ time.
All going to plan, we will have everyone fit and available for the first Test at Lord’s, and aim to announce our final squad of 15 for that series once we’ve completed our warm-up games,”
head coach Gary Stead told nzc.nz.
The current World Test Championship holders presently face a difficult task to get back on track, after dropping points at home to both Bangladesh and South Africa.
Ajaz Patel makes a return to the squad for the first time after taking a ten wicket-haul against India back in late 2021. Rachin Ravindra also features in the side, giving the Kiwis an additional option in the spin department.
“Last season I thought we juggled our resources really well to ensure the welfare of our people was prioritised, and we’ll be looking to do that again with the white-ball cricket in July and August. The ICC T20 World Cup in Australia is only six months away and we’ll continue to also prioritise as much planning and preparation for that as possible.”
Stead added.
