Tim Southee will captain New Zealand’s 15-man squad for their upcoming tour of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, which begins next month. However, he may not participate in all three tests as head coach Gary Stead aims to manage player workloads in challenging conditions.
The Black Caps will face Afghanistan in a one-off test match in Noida, India, starting on September 9, before moving to Sri Lanka for two World Test Championship matches on September 18 and September 26.
Swing bowler Southee, who took only six wickets in four home tests last season, will be supported by pace bowlers Matt Henry, Ben Sears, and Will O’Rourke.
“Test tours to the subcontinent can present significant challenges for pace bowlers due to the nature of the pitches and the heat and humidity,” said Stead. “We are approaching this tour with an open mind about the conditions, but we recognize that we may need to use all our bowling options throughout the series.”
Stead added that he and Southee have discussed the importance of balancing the workloads of the pace bowlers to best serve the team.
Former captain Kane Williamson returns to the squad along with allrounder Michael Bracewell, who is back after more than a year.
New Zealand, currently third in the World Test Championship standings, will also travel to India in October for a three-test series and will host England for another three-test series in November and December.
New Zealand Squad:
- Tim Southee (captain)
- Tom Blundell
- Michael Bracewell
- Devon Conway
- Matt Henry
- Tom Latham
- Daryl Mitchell
- Will O’Rourke
- Ajaz Patel
- Glenn Phillips
- Rachin Ravindra
- Mitchell Santner
- Ben Sears
- Kane Williamson
- Will Young
