New Zealand, on Saturday (February 17), announced their squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Australia. Apart from the Tests, Australia is also scheduled to play three T20Is against the Trans-Tasman rivals.
The three-match T20I series will kick off Australia’s tour of New Zealand. The Test series is scheduled to begin on February 29 in Wellington. The second match is scheduled to be played from March 8 in Christchurch. The upcoming Test series will be special for Kane Williamson and Tim Southee as they both enter the 100 Test club.
The current New Zealand captain and his predecessor have played 98 Tests so far. The second Test against Australia will make them the fifth and sixth players from their country to play 100 Tests. The other New Zealand players to achieve the milestone are Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor.
“To play 100 Tests for your country is an incredible achievement,” said head coach Gary Stead.
“It takes a huge amount of longevity and skill and to continue to improve and manage the demands of Test cricket over a long period of time is a testament to his character.
“Tim and Kane continue to be brilliant servants of the game in New Zealand and influential figures in the BLACKCAPS environment. Their achievements at Test level speak for themselves and they are undoubtedly two of the greatest players to ever wear the New Zealand Test jersey,” he added.
New Zealand Team for Australia Tests:
Williamson and Southee are part of the 14-man New Zealand squad announced for the series against Australia. Daryl Mitchell, who was recently rested for the second Test against South Africa and the upcoming T20I series against Australia, has returned to the Test team.
The Black Caps have also called up Scott Kuggeleijn to replace Kyle Jamieson, who has been ruled out for the season due to a back injury. Kuggeleijn made his Test debut against England in February last year and has only played one Test so far. He has recently impressed in both New Zealand A and domestic first-class competitions.
“Scott performed admirably with both bat and ball on New Zealand’s recent A tour to Australia. He will bring genuine pace with the ball and add extra depth with the bat, which is always valuable at Test level,” said selector Sam Wells.
“Everything is going well with Daryl. The decision to give him a rehabilitation period was necessary and will allow him to be at his best level for what is an important series for the team.
“He is a key member of the group and has shown, with his performances over the last 12 to 18 months, how much value he adds to the Test team. “Daryl will continue to focus on his rehabilitation over the next week and he will be fit and ready for the first test in Wellington,” he added.
The rest of the New Zealand team is the same as the team that recently swept the two-match Test series against South Africa. It was New Zealand’s first test series victory over the Proteas. The Black Caps will look to make the most of the momentum and record a famous series win over the Aussies.
New Zealand Test Team:
Tim Southee (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young.