New Zealand have unveiled a powerful squad for their upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, beginning on Sunday. Captain Mitchell Santner will lead the side on home soil, heading a group that includes eight players who were part of New Zealand’s run to the final at the recent T20 World Cup in India. Meanwhile, the squad has been selected very carefully in order to manage workload following a demanding T20I World Cup.
Wicketkeeper-batter Devon Conway is scheduled to play in the first three matches, while Lockie Ferguson will be available for the second and third T20Is as he continues to manage his workload after the tournament. A core group of experienced players such as Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Cole McConchie and Ben Sears will be available throughout the entire series.
The selection panel has also used the series to introduce new faces, with batters Katene Clarke and Nick Kelly earning call-ups following impressive domestic performances. Notably, several regular members of the T20 setup have been rested after the World Cup. Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra will all sit out the South Africa series.
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (c) (1-3), Katene Clarke (4-5), Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver (wk) (4-5), Devon Conway (wk) (1-3), Lockie Ferguson (2-3), Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Tom Latham (wk) (c) 4-5), Jayden Lennox (4-5), Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi