New Zealand Announce T20I Squad for Pakistan Series; No IPL Players Included

Michael Bracewell will captain New Zealand in their upcoming five-match T20I series against Pakistan. Bracewell also led the Black Caps during their tour of Pakistan last year, where the series ended in a 2-2 draw.

Bracewell will lead the team while Mitchell Santner is away in India for the IPL, along with Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, and Rachin Ravindra

He played a key role in the Champions Trophy, where New Zealand ended as the runners-up. He took four wickets against Bangladesh and also scored a half-century in the final against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The selectors have considered the workload of the fast bowlers and decided to include Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke only for the first three matches of the series. Matt Henry, who couldn’t play in the final against India, will make his comeback for the fourth and fifth T20Is.

“It’s a great honour and a real privilege to captain your country. 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,” Bracewell said in a NZC press release.

Ben Sears is back after recovering from a hamstring injury, and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi has returned to the team after missing the series against Sri Lanka. Kane Williamson has chosen to sit out and wasn’t considered for selection. Bevon Jacobs, who was part of the squad for the recent T20 series against Sri Lanka, couldn’t play because he was busy with his IPL commitments.

The T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand will begin on Sunday, March 16, at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

New Zealand squad for Pakistan T20I series

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