Auckland, March 11 (IANS) Michael Bracewell will captain New Zealand for the first time on home soil in the upcoming five-game T20I series against Pakistan, starting at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on March 16.
Bracewell was a star performer in their runner-up finish at the recent ICC Champions Trophy and is one of seven players from the squad set to join the T20 camp in Christchurch on Friday.
The 34-year-old all-rounder, who has racked up 66 international appearances since debuting for the country in all three formats in 2022, captained the white-ball tour of Pakistan in April last year and said he relished the challenge of leading the side.
“It’s a great honour and a real privilege to captain your country,” he said in a release. “I really enjoyed leading the side in Pakistan last year and we’ve got many players from that squad included for this series as well, which is nice.
“Mitch Santner’s done a great job since taking over as white-ball captain and I’ll really just be trying to build on his good work and create an enjoyable environment for the guys to perform in. Pakistan are always a dangerous short-form side with lots of power and pace and we know they’ll be hurting after an early exit in the Champions Trophy.
“For the guys coming back from Dubai, there’s obviously a level of disappointment, but also a lot of pride in the way we were able to perform and represent New Zealand. We’ve loved all of the support we’ve received from afar and are certainly looking forward to getting back home and playing in front of our own fans and in front of full venues.”
With T20 regulars Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and white-ball captain Mitchell Santner unavailable with IPL commitments, the T20 squad features a mix of established and returning stars.
Ish Sodhi has been recalled after missing the recent home series against Sri Lanka, while Ben Sears has recovered from the torn hamstring which forced him to return home on the eve of the Champions Trophy last month.
Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke have been included for the first three games of the series only, as the selectors seek to manage the workloads of the pace-bowlers returning from the Champions Trophy.
Matt Henry, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the tournament despite missing the final through injury, has been selected for games four and five, subject to further assessment once the ODI squad arrives home on Wednesday.
Finn Allen, Jimmy Neesham and Tim Seifert have also been included in the squad after confirming their availability, if selected, for the build-up series’ to next year’s ICC T20 World Cup in India (against India and Afghanistan in January and February).
The trio were unavailable for the recent home series against Sri Lanka in December and January due to their overseas T20 league commitments, but have since returned for their Major Associations in the Ford Trophy.
Tim Robinson continues his run at the top of the T20 order, while pace-bowler Zak Foulkes (games 4 and 5) and wicket-keeper Mitch Hay retain their spots in the squad after impressing in the recent series against Sri Lanka.
Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman, who were both part of the Champions Trophy campaign, will provide the top-order batting experience.
Bevon Jacobs, who was part of the squad for the recent T20 series against Sri Lanka, was unavailable due to IPL commitments, while Kane Williamson wasn’t considered for selection after making himself unavailable.
Selector Sam Wells said the Pakistan series was important for several reasons. “We’re certainly starting to narrow our sights on the ICC T20 World Cup in India next February and March. We made it clear in our planning and communication with players that availability for that tournament and the build-up to it was required to be considered for this series against Pakistan.
“Half of this squad is only returning from the Champions Trophy on Wednesday and so we’re going to need to manage those players really carefully. It’s nice to be welcoming back the likes of Ish, Kyle and Ben after time away from our T20 set-up.”
“The Pakistan series will provide an opportunity for all players to put their best foot forward and push their case for selection in the 15-player squad for next year’s major global tournament. We’re excited for Michael to captain the team for the first time on home soil. He’s a natural leader and in good form at the moment so I’m sure he’s looking forward to the challenge ahead,” Wells said.
Gary Stead will lead the coaching staff, alongside batting coach Luke Ronchi and bowling coach Jacob Oram. The T20I squad will assemble in Christchurch on March 14.
Squad: Michael Bracewell (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes (games 4 & 5), Mitch Hay, Matt Henry (games 4 & 5), Kyle Jamieson (games 1, 2 & 3), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke (games 1, 2 & 3), Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
–IANS
ab/bc