New Zealand have let go of five players from their squad of 20 players available for the England series to zero in on the final 15.
New Zealand on Tuesday announced their final 15-player squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India, starting this Friday, June 18 at the Ages Bowl in Southampton. Acording to the playing conditions for the summit clash, each of the two sides in the final had to name 15-member squads, as is the rule for every ICC championship game.
New Zealand released pacer Doug Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, batsman Rachin Ravindra and all-rounders, Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner. Bracewell, Duffy, Ravindra and their fourth coach Heinrich Malan and assistant physio Vijay Vallabh will return to New Zealand on June 16.
Commenting on the selection of the squad and on leaving out the likes of Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner, BLACKCAPS head coach Gary Stead said, "There’s had to be some tough calls with Mitchell and Daryl victims of the fierce competition we currently have for places in the Test side.
“We’ve gone with Ajaz as our specialist spinner after an impressive outing at Edgbaston and we believe he could be a factor at the Ageas Bowl. Colin’s been an integral member of our Test set-up for many years and it was great to see him return at Lord’s after a long injury lay-off. He’s a proven performer at the top level and we back him to do a job with the bat or the ball if called upon," he added.
Shedding light on skipper Kane Williamson and wicket-keeper BJ Watling's recovery and current status, Stead said, "Kane and BJ have certainly benefitted from their week of rest and rehabilitation and we expect them to be fit and available for the final.
“Playing in a World Cup Final is a really special occasion and I know the guys are looking forward to getting into their work here in Southampton. India are a world class outfit who possess match winners all through their line-up, so we’re under no illusion about how tough they will be to beat," he added.
New Zealand squad for WTC final: Kane Williamson(c), Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Will Young, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling(w), Tom Blundell, Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Ajaz Patel, Matt Henry
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