Kane Williamson‘s return to T20I cricket has been delayed as New Zealand Cricket withdrew their captain and ace pacer Kyle Jamieson from the squad for the upcoming T20I sequence on Friday. Williamson was named captain for the three-match T20I sequence beginning on December 27 however has been withdrawn from the squad to maintain him recent for summer season Tests in opposition to South Africa and Australia.
The 33-year-old veteran final performed T20I cricket in opposition to India in November 2022 and missed seven months of cricket in 2023 as a result of a knee harm. He made his return to aggressive cricket in the current World Cup 2023 and appeared in excellent kind.
Williamson additionally scored a century in the Sylhet Test in opposition to Bangladesh final month and was given relaxation for the continued ODIs at house. Both Williamson and Jamieson are anticipated to overlook subsequent month’s five-match T20I sequence in opposition to Pakistan as the administration is seeking to maintain them reserved for the summer season Test sequence in February and March.
“Kane will undergo a period of knee rehabilitation and strengthening following his recent return to play in India and Bangladesh,” NZC mentioned in a press release. “Kyle’s hamstring injury was best served by a period of targeted rehabilitation leading into February’s Test Series against South Africa.”
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead additionally confirmed that the choice was taken after a dialogue with the medical workers and each gamers.
“We want both Kane and Kyle to be in the best possible place leading into the next block of Test cricket against South Africa and Australia,” Gary Stead mentioned in a press release. “Based on discussions with the medical workers and the gamers, it was determined a interval of rehabilitation and conditioning was the most suitable choice for each of them.
Meanwhile, the NZC has named rising all-rounder Rachin Ravindra and pacer Jacob Duffy as replacements for Williamson and Jamieson whereas the ace spinner Mitchell Santner will take the captain’s armband for the Bangladesh T20I sequence.
Updated New Zealand T20I squad for Bangladesh: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips (wk), Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Jacob Duffy, Rachin Ravindra.
