Kane Williamson, the designated captain, and Kyle Jamieson have been withdrawn from New Zealand’s T20I squad to take on Bangladesh at home later this month. Mitchell Santner, who has led both the New Zealand white-ball sides previously, will be captain in Williamson’s absence.Rachin Ravindra and Jacob Duffy have been called up as replacements, with NZC saying the decision on Williamson and Jamieson was once made following “medical advice and consideration of the team’s upcoming schedule, with a focus on this summer’s Test series against South Africa and Australia”.
Williamson, who missed seven months of competitive cricket earlier this year after sustaining a correct knee injury throughout the IPL, “will undergo a period of knee rehabilitation and strengthening following his recent return to play in India and Bangladesh,” NZC said.
As for Jamieson, “his hamstring injury was once best served by a period of targeted rehabilitation leading into February’s Test Series against South Africa”. He’ll take a seat out the series of three T20Is against Bangladesh in addition to the January T20I series against Pakistan. He was once earlier withdrawn from the ODI squad for the ongoing series against Bangladesh, which New Zealand are leading 2-0.
“[Duffy has] worked very tough on his white-ball skills in recent seasons. Rachin adds to any surroundings he is part of, and has a great desire to be told and develop his game – across all three formats”
New Zealand coach Gary Stead
“We would like both Kane and Kyle to be in the most productive imaginable place leading into the next block of Test cricket against South Africa and Australia,” Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach, said in a commentary. “Based on discussions with the medical staff and the players, it was once made up our minds a period of rehabilitation and conditioning was once the most suitable option for either one of them.
“Jacob is an experienced T20 cricketer, and at all times brings a lot when he is a part of the BlackCaps surroundings. He is worked very tough on his white-ball skills in recent seasons. Rachin adds to any surroundings he is part of, and has a great desire to be told and develop his game – across all three formats.”
The series of three T20Is – Napier (December 27), and Mount Maunganui (December 29 and 31) – would have marked a return to the format for Williamson, who final played a T20I on November 20 final year, against India in Mount Maunganui.
New Zealand squad for T20Is against Bangladesh: Mitchell Santner (capt), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee