New Zealand will play a T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe involving South Africa, themselves, and the hosts. The series, which is set to begin next month, will feature Adam Milne and uncapped Bevon Jacobs joining the side.
Jacobs was a part of New Zealand’s Sri Lanka-bound squad in December last year but remained on the bench. However, following his signing by Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he didn’t get any game time either, he is likely to get his debut cap during the tour, as confirmed by the newly hired Kiwi coach Rob Walter.
“Bevon’s been an outstanding performer in domestic cricket and has gained some experience in franchise leagues around the world, so it’ll be a good chance for him to get back into the squad and potentially play,” Walter said.
Milne, who was dropped from the side following Australia’s tour of New Zealand in February last year, has been called up following his brilliant outings in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) after he took nine wickets in four games for Texas Super Kings. He gets another chance to prove himself on the international side after Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, and Kyle Jamieson were ruled out of the side. Sears is out with a side strain, while Jamieson has been granted paternity leave. Ferguson, who had to drop out of the IPL midway, has been rested to manage his workload.
“Adam’s a really skilled T20 bowler, he’s particularly proficient with the ball up front and brings that extra pace and bounce,” Walter said. “With the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears and Kyle Jamieson out it’s great to be able to lean on an experienced head in Adam.”
In addition to the three fast bowlers, Kane Williamson will also not be travelling to Zimbabwe. Williamson, who forwent his central contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) last year, made himself unavailable for the tri-nation series. He is currently playing for Middlesex in the Vitality Blast and has been signed by London Spirit for the Hundred.
A number of players, including Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and Mitchell Santner, who missed the T20I series against Pakistan in March due to IPL commitments, have returned for the tri-series.
“I think we’ve got a really strong squad for this tour and I’m looking forward to getting the team together and getting into the work,” Walter said. “We’ve got some good experience in the side and it’s nice to be able to welcome back a few of the players who missed the March series against Pakistan because of the IPL.”
Currently, several New Zealand players are a part of the MLC, which will end on July 14, two days before New Zealand’s opening game against South Africa in Harare. NZC confirmed replacements would be announced for the first game if needed. New Zealand are aiming to use this opportunity to build up for the T20 World Cup next year.
“With the T20 World Cup around the corner, all of our upcoming series are critically important to our build-up. This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition,” Walter said.
“It should be a great T20 tri-series with South Africa who are a very strong side and Zimbabwe who play well at home in their own conditions.”
Following the tri-series, New Zealand will play Zimbabwe in a two-Test series in Bulawayo, which will not be part of their World Test Championship (WTC) schedule.
