New Zealand announce T20I and Test squads for West Indies series; Devon Conway earns maiden call-up

Wellington Firebirds batsman Devon Conway has earned his maiden New Zealand call-up for the upcoming T20I series against West Indies. The Black Caps, on Monday, announced the T20I as well as the Test squad for the upcoming home series. The forthcoming series will kickstart New Zealand’s cricket season.

Along with Conway, Kyle Jamieson has also earned his maiden call-up for the T20 side. Earlier this year, Jamieson had made his ODI and Test debuts during the home series against India and had impressed. The hosts have also rested their captain Kane Williamson and pace spearhead Trent Boult for the T20I series, starting on November 27.

Both Williamson and Boult recently returned to New Zealand after spending two months in the UAE for IPL 2020. They had to stay in the bio-bubble during the entire tournament. In Williamson’s absence, senior pacer Tim Southee will lead the side. However, Southee, Jamieson and Ross Taylor are only available for the first two T20Is.

After the first two T20Is, the trio will head to Hamilton to join an unchanged 13-man Test squad on November 30. With the third and final T20I at Bay Oval also on November 30, Mark Chapman, Doug Bracewell and Scott Kuggeleijn will join the T20 squad as cover for the three Test players.

Gary Stead appreciates New Zealand Cricket’s efforts

As New Zealand gear up to resume action, their head coach Gary Stead has praised the cricket board for its effort. The Blackcaps have not played a game since the first match of the three-ODI series in Australia in March before the coronavirus pandemic halted the game. West Indies, on the other hand, returned to action in July with the Test series in England.

“I think we’re all very aware and appreciative of how much work has gone in to make this home summer possible – in what is clearly unprecedented times,” said Stead.

“The season schedule is complex and for the first time we’re going to have a BLACKCAPS Test squad assembling on the same day we’re playing a T20 International in another city. We’ve got players at quite different stages with some having played almost a month of domestic cricket, some in managed isolation following the IPL and others battling injuries,” he added.

Here’s the T20 squad:

Tim Southee (captain), Hamish Bennett, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Seifert (wicket-keeper), Ross Taylor (Doug Bracewell, Scott Kuggeleijn and Mark Chapman included for game three in place of Jamieson, Southee and Taylor)

Here’s the Test squad:

Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling (wicket-keeper), Will Young