New Zealand Cricket (NZC) formally announced the New Zealand team for the forthcoming T20 series in Zimbabwe, which is to start on July 16 in Harare. The three-nation tri-series also includes South Africa and host Zimbabwe.
Particularly, Kane Williamson, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, and Ben Sears are not included in the squad. Head coach Rob Walter, appointed recently in all formats, starts his preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup with this tour.
Key Absentees and Reasons
Kane Williamson has chosen to be unavailable with his current county stint at Middlesex and future obligations with the London Spirit in The Hundred.
Lockie Ferguson rested for the management of workloads.
Kyle Jamieson is remaining behind to be with his family in anticipation of the arrival of his first child.
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Ben Sears is sidelined due to a side strain.
Adam Milne Returns, Bevon Jacobs Targets T20I Debut
Pacer Adam Milne returns to the T20I team after sitting out the previous T20 World Cup because of ankle surgery. Milne has performed well with the Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket (MLC), taking 9 wickets across 4 games.
Thrilling new face Bevon Jacobs also gets a spot in the New Zealand team. Although not yet available for his T20I debut, Jacobs was earlier named in the squad for the series against Sri Lanka in December and was selected in the unexpected IPL draft by the Mumbai Indians this season.
Key Players Back After Sitting Out Pakistan Series
A few players who were unavailable for the March T20Is against Pakistan because of the IPL return to the team, including:
Glenn Phillips
Rachin Ravindra
Mitchell Santner (who will captain the side)
But Devon Conway has no role to play in this T20 team.
Coach Rob Walter Pinpoints Testing Bench Depth
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter stressed the value of using the Zimbabwe T20 series to test emerging players and build towards the 2026 T20 World Cup:
These series provide us with the chance to try the depth of our squad and look at various combinations against good opposition,” Walter explained.
“Adam Milne provides experience and pace at the front, while Bevon Jacobs has been performing very well in domestic cricket and has franchise experience that will be of benefit to him.”
Walter will be assisted by Luke Ronchi, Jake Oram, and James Foster as part of his coaching team.
New Zealand Team for T20 Series in Zimbabwe
Mitchell Santner (captain)
Finn Allen
Michael Bracewell
Mark Chapman
Jacob Duffy
Zak Foulkes
Matt Henry
Bevon Jacobs
Adam Milne
Daryl Mitchell
Will O’Rourke
Glenn Phillips
Rachin Ravindra
Tim Seifert
Ish Sodhi
Tri-Series Starts July 16 vs South Africa
New Zealand will start their T20 tri-series against South Africa on July 16 in Harare. The series comes immediately after the MLC 2025 Final, and NZC has assured that covers could be announced nearer to the beginning in the event of a clash in schedules. Following the T20Is, the squad will stay put in Zimbabwe for the two-match Test series in Bulawayo.
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